Damn That Kei!
by X-Keva-X
Summary: Written for my Kei fans out there. Kaogme has a problem with a certain neko and his inability to keep his claws off her clothing.
1. Chapter 1

Under revision... sorta. For the most part the first three chapters of this haven't changed much at all. I've gone through and cleaned it up fixing spelling errors and such. Now I'm sure I didn't get them all so if you come across some... oh well it happens. So hope you enjoy; much love for you all. Keva

xx

Kagome ran as fast as she could through the forest. She wasn't running because she was being chased. She wasn't running because she was afraid. She wasn't running because she was emotionally hurt and she definitely wasn't running because she needed the exercise. Nope; she was the chaser if you will of a sorry bastard that was going to die a slow painful death.

Clenched tightly in her right hand was her once favorite skirt. In her left hand she held several strands of his hair. Which was thus far the only damage he had sustained and only the beginning of his torment.

Once upon a time she had a relatively normal life. Jaunting across Japan's countryside, hunting down an evil hanyou, killing things that definitely needed to die, and just trying to stay alive… normal.

She had friends; a hentai hoshi, a demon slayer, an over amorous wolf, a fox kit, a transforming neko, and a hanyou that didn't get sat nearly as much as he deserved… normal.

Having friends also meant baggage. A little brother kept alive with a jewel shard. A void in the palm of a hoshi's hand. An orphaned kit, a homicidal older brother, and a thieving dead-ish ex-girlfriend… normal.

Okay so maybe it wasn't normal compared to most; but to her it was as normal as sakura blossoms in the spring. Then he showed up and her life went from normal to just down right out of control.

And whom did she have to thank for this mess her life had now become? None other than the psycho hidden behind deep amber eyes, deadly poison, and stoic mask… Sesshoumaru. It wasn't the bastard of the west she was currently chasing; nope, but his days were numbered. Once she got through with the mangy neko she was chasing Sesshoumaru was next.

_'Miko; this is my general Kei. He is going to assist you in hunting down the vile filth known as Naraku in my stead. I will return in three months time.'_

Agreeing to allow the neko to stand in for Sesshoumaru was a mistake… a BIG one!

"Get back here you jerk!" Damn all youkai to hell and back for their superman-esc qualities and damn her pathetic (in comparison) human lungs and muscles. She stopped, placed her fisted hands on her knees, hunched over, and sucked as much air as she could back into her oxygen deprived lungs.

"Do you finally give up?" A deep voice questioned from the shadows of the trees.

Her fist tightened around the fabric of her shredded skirt. "Iie…" She panted heavily. "You will die; doubt it not!" She hissed out breathlessly. "If my lungs don't explode first." She gasped deeply.

Kei stepped out into the full view of the hunched over miko. "I told you it was an accident." He smirked deeply at her.

Kagome glared daggers at him. "Don't you dare lie to me!" She held up the remains of her beloved skirt. "This was no accident!"

"Perhaps." He grinned fiendishly.

Her deep blues flashed deadly. "Why." She demanded sounding a lot like Sesshoumaru.

Kei shrugged his shoulder. "It was indecent."

"Indecent? That is not for you to decide." She pointed her left finger at him causing the strands of hair in her hand to flutter about aimlessly.

Kei spotted the hair in her hand and instinctively ran his fingers through his black hair checking for any bald patches.

Kagome watched him and ground her teeth together. How dare he act like his hair is more important than her destroyed skirt? "Oooh… I'm so going to shave me a kitten." She hissed to herself. "This is only the beginning!" She bit out as she held up the hair in her fisted hand.

A dark brow arched at her declaration. "Oh? You can barely keep up with me let alone catch me." He taunted.

Her eyes narrowed before her lips pulled into an unnerving grin. She cocked a brow at the confused face he was making before she turned and began walking away without a single word.

Kei watched her go not entirely sure he trusted her sudden change of behavior. However his instincts demanded that he finds out what she was up to damn the curious cat in him.

Kagome listened as he came up behind her and had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing out right. He was too easy which made her wonder why she even bothered with chasing him in the first place.

"Woman what are you up to?" He demanded with deep chested growl.

"Nothing." She answered with her nose stuck highly in the air.

Copper eyes narrowed on the girl's back as deadly claws twitched at his side. The cat in him was screaming madly for answers. Yet the the more common sense side of him wanted no part of it. "Kagome" He growled low in his throat.

Still she refused to answer him as she continued walking away like he wasn't even there. He grabbed her by the shoulders, spun her around, locked stares with her, and instantly knew his mistake.

Kagome placed her hands on his black silk covered chest and released a small amount of her powers into his chest. He was left with palm shaped burn holes in his haori and leaving red palm marks on his lightly tanned flesh. "Ha!" She huffed with a pointed finger in his face. "Take that you jerk!"

Kei looked down at his haori and frowned. She burned his favorite haori; the haori Rin had made for him. "You will pay." He growled deadly as his deep copper eyes narrowed to tiny little slits.

Kagome matched his glare. "You don't like it do you freaking hypocrite!" She held up her blue skirt. "You can dish it out but you can't take it! Well I have news for you you overgrown kitten. I will wear what I want, when I want, and there is nothing you can say or do to stop me!"

A dark brow arched at that declaration. "Oh? I believe it was decided long ago that I was your master."

"Firstly you ARE NOT my master!" She jabbed a sharp finger in to his chest. "Secondly three months does not justify a long time ago!"

"It matters not." He hissed as he grabbed her by the arms lifting her up in front of him.

Her eyes narrowed even further. "Put me down." She ordered coldly.

"Iie; you will be punished."

Kagome curled her lip at him. "Don't you dare." She hissed.

His lips pulled into an unnerving smirk. "Oh and what will you do to stop me?"

She raised her hand and slapped him across his perfect cheek causing his head to snap to the side. "That for starters."

He turned his head and stared in shock at her. He definitely wasn't expecting THAT. "Girl; if you do that again I swear…" he trailed off when she did it again. "Feisty bitch." He growled.

"Damn it Kei! What did I tell you about calling me that?" She growled between clenched teeth.

He pulled her flush against his chest and buried his face into her neck. "You know what your fire does to me."

Again she rolled her eyes. "Knock it off! I'm SOOOO not in the mood."

He set her on her feet and slid his arms around her small frame squeezing her against his hard chest.. "Don't worry about that." He growled sensually in the manner that always set her body ablaze.

"I mean it," she gasped. "stop it." Oh how she hated how she sounded right now and knew without a doubt she wasn't very convincing.

He again buried his face into her neck and went in for the kill by lightly dragging his fangs across her neck. It worked every time for she suddenly went limp in the knees and wrapped her arms around his waist in an attempt to hold herself up right. He moved his lips up to her ear. "Now tell me again how you aren't in the mood."

"I hate you." She gasped as he trailed his hot tongue along the rim of her ear.

"Iie" He smirked into her hair. "You love me and you know it." He pulled back and stared down at her face copper eyes glinting with humor and desire.

Kagome stared at his perfectly chiseled face, beautifully colored eyes, and her favorite thing about him. It was those kawaii little black tiger stripes on his cheeks and neck. They always taunted her forcing her to want to drag her tongue across everyone of them. Especially some of his other black stripes that he had all over his body forcing her to want to drag her tongue across them. More specifically the two black stripes that arced over his hips pointing to his navel and destinations beyond.

She dropped the items in her hands yanked his black sash undone and ripped his ruined haori open to get to his strong chest. Her hands glided over every bulge and dip of his muscles before they made their way to his shoulders where she pushed the black garment off his broad shoulders.

Kei growled deeply when she scraped her dull nails down his chest then back up seeking out his hardened buds. With a low growl in his chest he ripped her thin white shirt from her body. He then placed his hands on her waist and picked her up so that her long creamy legs could wrap around his thin waist.

Kagome leaned in and pressed her lips to his slipping her tongue into his hot mouth and tracing the line of his teeth and fangs. Shivering at the feel of the deadly points and knowing how it felt when he would lightly drag them along her flesh.

He walked over to a nearby tree and pressed her up against it as he swirled his tongue against hers. He trailed the tips of his claws along her creamy thighs to her hips where he made quick work of her second most favorite skirt. If she wouldn't get rid of the indecent clothing he would slowly do it himself. Even if that meant shredding every piece of clothing she had and using sex to do so… which was a definitely a bonus. Although it also meant that he was going to be on the run a lot in order to keep her from purifying him to hell.

The next thing to go was her bra thing which he also hated. Granted it kept everyone from seeing her perfect little breasts through those thin shirts she always wore. However there was just something about the garment that screamed pansuke. Hell everything she wore was completely indecent right down to her underwear.

Granted no one but him ever saw the tiny under thing she wore to cover herself but still they barley covered a thing. The way the back side would vanish between her perfect little ass cheeks. They were sinfully taunting when he would see her standing in front of him in nothing but those. Yes he would allow the underwear but the rest of her clothing… it had to go and she would wear a kimono like a proper lady should as his woman should.

Kagome jerked her head back and moaned when he ground himself into her. She could feel his hard length rubbing against her burning hot core and wanted him to give her relief. "Oh Kami Kei stop teasing me." She panted as she rubbed against him trying to seek some friction to ease the burning ache.

The neko smirked at her before he roughly ripped her undergarment from her petite little body then attacked her little bud of bundled nerves with a sharp deadly claw.

Kagome thrashed and squirmed against his assault upon her sensitive area. Kami was it torture yet she wanted more. She reached for his hair, tangled her fingers into his silky locks, and yanked as hard as she could manage. "Stop toying with me you bastard!"

Oh how he loved it when she would show her true colors pure and innocent his neko ass. It was all a rouse and he knew it a way to lure beings into her charms and get them to bend to her will. He was no fool he saw her in action the very first day he met her with her superior power over the hanyou twit. "You want more?" He questioned with a growl in her small ear.

Kagome snapped out of her haze and stared deadly at him. "Are you a baka or something? No; I don't want more. I'm just pressed up against this tree naked for NO APPARENT REASON!"

"Feisty bitch." He growled sensuously.

"Don't call me that!" She bit out as she squirmed against him in an attempt to break free of his hold so she could force him to give her what she wanted.

He released the ties holding his raven colored hakama up and let them pool around his booted feet. "I will give you what you want." He hissed before he suddenly slammed himself deep into her silky core.

Kagome arched her head back banging it against the tree and cried out in pleasure. "Kami!" She gasped when he pulled out and slammed back in again. She tightened her legs around his waist and pulled him in deeper with every inward thrust of his hips forcing him to reach her deepest point.

He placed his lips to her neck sucking and nipping until there was a giant glowing red mark on her ivory skin. It was just another thing for her to add to her list of things to kill him for. He moved his lips to her shoulder and repeated the action giving the hickey on her neck a friend. If he was going to die for it he was going to make sure it was worth it.

He moved down to the top of her breast and created another one there one on the top of her other breast, her other shoulder, the front of her neck, the base of her jaw line just below her ear. Then for the finishing touch to his master work and the one that would surely bring about his death a small one on her chin. The beauty of it all was that she was so lost in her own pleasure the selfish wench that she paid no real mind to whatever else he was doing to her.

Her back arched off the tree as her inner muscles clenched tightly around his silken length as a cry of ecstasy tore from her throat.

Kei moaned loudly as he followed suit with one last thrust into her hot wet core. He collapsed against her burying his face into her neck.

Kagome held onto him waiting for her racing heart to return to a normal pace. She had to admit that as angry as he liked to make her she loved the sex. What she didn't understand was why he insisted on pissing her off all the time by shredding… As soon as that one word entered her head she looked down and noted her clothing once again in shreds at his feet. "You jerk!" She hissed.

Those two words sprung him into action. He released his hold upon her, quickly pulled his hakama up, and took off tying them closed on the way.

Kagome grabbed her clothing well what was left of them and growled to herself before grabbing his haori and wrapping it around her body. She was lucky that the holes she placed on the silk garment showed nothing being she had to practically wrap it around herself twice to get it to fit properly. She snatched up his sash, tied it around her waist, grabbed what was left of her own clothing and took off after him… AGAIN.

He wasn't running at full pace for that matter you could barely call it a jog. As he broke into the clearing just beyond their camp he spotted a sliver being staring in his direction. "Hey Sesshoumaru." He said with a small nod as he ran past him.

Sesshoumaru watched his general go by and vanish back into the woods before he turned his head in the direction the neko came from.

"YOU!" A shrill voice rang in his ears causing his deep ambers to narrow slightly.

Kagome ran up to the demon lord. "This," she held up her tattered clothing for him to see. "is your fault!"

A silver brow arched at her declaration. "Girl I have only just arrived therefore your claim is utter nonsense."

"True but you brought that bastard in to my life." She hissed.

Sesshoumaru gave her an arrogant snort. "The relationship between you and the neko bares no concern to me nor am I the one that has caused you such issue."

Okay so she couldn't exactly argue with that but that didn't matter. She opened her mouth to respond when she noticed he was staring at something rather intently. "What?"

He raised his hand, withdrew Tenseiga, and held it horizontally in front of her.

Kagome looked down at the blade with brows furrowed as she locked stares with herself in the shiny metal.

Sesshoumaru was tempted to roll his eyes at how simple she was. However he settled for a haughty sniff before he dropped his wrist slightly lowering the blade just a touch.

Kagome's eyes went insanely wide when she saw the red mark on her chin. "Oh… My… God!" She snatched the sword from his hand and thoroughly began examining her neck. Every red mark on her ivory flesh blazed brightly in a mocking red fire. She pulled the neck of the haori open and spotted the one on her shoulder before she moved to the other side and found that one as well.

Her eyes widened in horror before she dropped the sword to the ground, pulled out on the haori, and looked down at her chest. "GAH!" She gasped in horror. "I look like a leper!" She then glared up at the inu. "He is sooo dead!" She growled as she took off running in the neko's direction.

Sesshoumaru watched her go and inwardly hoped that she would purify the neko to hell. The cat had made his life miserable since childhood and still continued to do so.

He gathered his sword from the forest floor and made for their little camp to await for the return of the girl and hear of the fate of the insolent neko.

Little did he know that her group of companions had been waiting for three days now for them to return and would most likely be waiting three more.


	2. Chapter 2

Kagome stood by the hot spring panting madly. She had tried everything in her power to catch that damn neko and nothing worked NOTHING! She tried to use his curiosity against him and he nearly fell for it but his more logical side stepped in and brought the curious cat in him to a grinding halt. It just wasn't fair!

Deciding chasing the cat wasn't working since he ran ten times faster then she could blink she decided to go with the silent treatment. So she perched herself on a nearby boulder and waited for him to come in search of her. Eventually he would since he loved being chased and would come back to see why she wasn't chasing him anymore.

She didn't have to wait very long at all for Kei slowly approached her from the opposite side of the spring. When she locked stares with him she closed her eyes, tilted her head up snootily, crossed her arms over her chest, and turned away from him.

Kei smirked at her back he was no fool he knew exactly what she was trying to do. "Come on Kagome we have played this game already." He smirked at her yet to his dismay she didn't react like she normally would with finger aimed and tongue flying. Instead she just sat there ignoring him and he hated to be ignored especially when he wanted attention.

He slowly walked towards her waiting for her to attack and to his surprise she did nothing but just sit there even when he came to stand right behind her. Taking his life into his own hands he slipped his arms around her and set his chin on her shoulder. "Do not be angry with me." He whispered. "It was all done in fun."

Still nothing but the sound of her breathing.

His lips pulled up into a deep smirk as he realized what she was doing giving him the silent treatment. Well she wanted to play like that then he too could play dirty. He easily picked her up and dumped her cold shoulder and all into the hot spring. "There that should warm you up a bit." He chuckled.

Kagome surfaced sputtering water and pushing her wet hair out of her face. When she was finally able to get a clear view she locked stares with the deep copper of the neko standing on the edge of the spring. "I hate you." She hissed through clenched teeth.

Kei crossed his arms over his chest, turned, and walked away. "So be it then."

Kagome watched him go and couldn't believe he was actually going to walk away from her just like that. Was he actually leaving her or was he just leaving her because she hurt his feelings?

She made her way over to the edge of the spring, climbed out, and silently followed after him. "Kei?" She questioned tentatively as she came up behind him.

"Iie miko." He answered flatly. "Do not waste your time on me someone you hate."

She wanted to cry but on the other hand she didn't know if this was another one of his games or not. Did she call his bluff or did she play right into his hands? Neither option set well with her. "I don't hate you."

He smirked to himself; his little miko was far too easy. "Then you shouldn't say such words if they aren't true." He spun around and looked down his nose at her causing her to come to a sudden stop. "For your mean words you now must pay compensation."

Kagome stared up at him wide eyed. "What? What kind of compensation are you demanding?" She did not like where this was going at all.

"Oh you know what to do." He smirked at her.

"No!" She shook her head. "No way am I doing that!" She pointed a finger at him.

A dark brow arched. "You have wronged me and now you will pay." He nodded.

"Wronged you?" She glowered deadly at him. "Must I remind you that you have damn near destroyed my entire wardrobe? If anything you owe ME!"

He snorted at her. "They were indecent and exposed much too much flesh. I did you a service."

"More like a disservice." She nodded curtly. "I want a trial."

At that his brows rose highly. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me." She nodded and pointed a finger in his face. "I'm going to sue you over my clothes." With that she turned and began making her way back to their camp. "And Sesshoumaru will be the judge."

"Well then I'm guaranteed to win." He smirked as he followed after her. He knew without a doubt that Sesshoumaru didn't like her clothes any more then he did since Sesshoumaru too felt they drew to much attention their way.

When he caught up with her he crossed his arms over his chest and grinned evilly. "So what color do you prefer your kimono to be?"

"Ha says you!" She snorted. "I will win this doubt it not." She nodded curtly.

"If you say so." He grinned. "If you say so."

xx

Sesshoumaru opened his eyes from his position beneath the tree when two shadows cast over him.

"Lord Sesshoumaru." Kagome started with a curt bow in his direction. "As lord and master of this;" she cast a glare at the neko. "bastard I lay my grievance before you and request a trial in which I may seek restitution for the wrongs he has committed against me."

A silver brow arched high at that while the other members of their little camp stopped everything they were doing and stared at the duo standing before the inu. "You wish to sue the neko for marking your flesh?"

"Iie" She growled. "Although I wouldn't mind him getting a beating or something for that. No this is about his need to tear my clothes to shreds for no other reason then he believes them to be indecent."

"They are indecent." Kei nodded and cocked a brow at the demon lord.

Sesshoumaru looked from one to the other then gave a curt nod. "Very well I will hear your case." He gave a curt nod to the two standing before him and watched impassively as they kneeled. "Now before we begin do either of you wish to call forth a witness."

"Hai" Kagome nodded. "I want Miroku." She smirked over at when he turned wide eyes upon her.

"Very well." Kei nodded. "I call Sesshoumaru."

"You can't do that!" Kagome bit out. "He's the judge."

Kei huffed indignantly. "He will be fair as witness and judge and you know it." He nodded back at her.

"You are up to something." She glared suspiciously.

Kei smirked at her. "Iie; this is all your doing."

"Fine you can call Sesshoumaru but it won't matter I will still win!" She pointed at him.

"We will see." He smirked. "We will see."

Sesshoumaru looked from one to the other and only one word passed through his mind _'infants'_. "You will lay out your case." He stared at Kagome.

"Alright." She nodded at him and held up a fist of with shreds of clothing hanging from her fingers. "Here it is; he shreds my clothes and I demand restitution. He has no justifiable reason for tearing my things up then goes so far as to act like a beaten victim when I do to him as he does to me." She then looked over her shoulder at Miroku. "I call my witness Miroku."

Miroku startled slightly when he heard his name before he tentatively made his way to stand behind his miko friend. As much as Sesshoumaru had been traveling with them the inu lord was still someone he viewed as dangerous and unreadable. To stand before him and defend his friend to the demon was a little unnerving.

"Um yes… well. Kagome is correct. Kei-sama;" he cast a weary glance over at the neko. It wasn't so much that he was afraid of the neko as a matter of fact they were friends but to have to have to bare witness against him just didn't sit well with him. However Kagome was a friend as well and truthfully he liked Kagome's clothes. "has ripped her clothes."

Kagome rolled her eyes at Miroku's statement. "That was pathetic." She mumbled to herself.

Sesshoumaru looked from the hoshi to the girl. "I agree." He nodded curtly before he looked back at Miroku. "Has my general ever given reason to you for his actions."

Miroku nodded. "He said that half was because they were much too revealing for his tastes and secondly he liked it when Kagome would get mad at him." He scratched his head thoughtfully. "When I asked him why he said something about being chased."

Kagome cast Kei a glare at Miroku's words before she turned back to Sesshoumaru. "See; he isn't doing it for any other reason than his own entertainment."

"So you admit they are indecent." Sesshoumaru arched a silver brow at her highly.

"No!" Kagome bit out. "Everyone from my time wears the same things I wear and even in some cases ten times more revealing." She crossed her arms over her chest indignantly. "I've always thought that my clothes were rather modest." When everyone widened their eyes at her with the exception of Sesshoumaru's she furrowed her brows. "Well it's true." She nodded. "Inuyasha has been there and has seen what the girls wear."

"Hey!" Inuyasha pointed a finger at her. "Don't bring me into this shit!"

Kagome waved her hand through the air dismissing the hanyou. "If you think what I wear now is bad you should see what I wear…" She trailed off and smirked evilly. "Never mind."

Kei glowered at her. "What the hell are you up to now?"

"Nothing." Kagome nodded as she stared at Sesshoumaru and picked up where she left off. "Now if he would have been polite and talked to me about my clothing and the problems he has with them then I would have worked out some kind of agreement with him." She shook her head. "But noooo he just shreds them without a word of reason. I mean come on Sesshoumaru; that would be like me purifying your clothes right off your body with out a word and all because I don't like the color white."

Sesshoumaru looked over at Kei. "Her point is valid. What do you have to say for yourself."

Kei stared at the demon. "Her clothing reveals much too much flesh and draws unwanted and unneeded attention our way. More than once it has caused issues for us being many seem to think her to be some sort of pansuke." He smirked over at the miko. "I call Sesshoumaru to witness." He looked over at the inu.

Sesshoumaru nodded curtly then looked at the miko. "The neko speaks the truth. Your clothing has caused concern for us on more than one occasion; issues that could have easily been avoided were you dressed more appropriately."

"Your defense makes no sense." Kagome glowered at the two males. "Based on that logic you," she pointed at Sesshoumaru. "Kei, Shippou, and Inuyasha should look more human since all of you have caused problems for being youkai." She grinned hugely at him rather proud of herself.

Really he couldn't argue with that logic as what she said was true. "Be that as it may we are able to defend ourselves where you can not."

"Hey!" Kagome pointed at him. "This isn't about me not being able to defend myself which by the way I am more than capable of doing." She shook her head angrily. "This is about him shredding my clothes because HE doesn't like them." She pointed over at the neko.

"It's true Sesshoumaru-sama." Miroku defended his friend; he really did not want her to lose. He liked her clothing it generally gave him a lot of flesh to look at. "Kagome isn't on trial for her strength or power." He nodded.

Again he couldn't argue with that either. "Neko the girl is correct."

Kei glowered at the inu. "Be that as it may." He suddenly smirked. "Since I am courting her I am well within my rights to demand that she dresses more appropriately. Her clothing currently could bring shame to the Oita name and" his smirk suddenly turned to an evil grin. "the western lands. You travel with her just as I do and with her in your company her actions and dress reflect upon you as the lord."

Sesshoumaru nodded curtly. "I agree." He looked over at the miko.

"Again Sesshoumaru this isn't about status or names or anything else. This is about him ripping my clothes apart." Kagome nodded.

"Hai" Sesshoumaru agreed. "However your clothing choice causes issues for all of us. Do you deny that?"

Kagome sighed deeply and shook her had. "No but that doesn't mean he can just rip them up as he pleases."

Amber eyes shifted from the miko to the neko and back again. They both made valid points and now he had to make a decision on who was wrong and who was right. "Very well. My decision is this." He again looked between the two. "Kei you are guilty by your own admission of ripping her clothing apart."

"Yes!" Kagome chirped.

"I am not through." Sesshoumaru growled as he narrowed his eyes upon the girl.

"Sorry." Kagome huffed then glowered at Kei when he smirked at her.

"As restitution to the miko you will provide her with funds to replace that which you have destroyed."

Kei didn't like it but he would do it. "As you wish." He nodded curtly.

"Miko; you will rethink your clothing choice. It is a hazard to all of us by drawing unwanted attention our way. Should you continue to dress as you do we will no longer bare the consequences of what should happen due to your indecent dress." He stared hard at her. "Is that understood."

"Perfectly." Kagome bit out with hard eyes narrowed upon the inu. "I will fix this issue right now." She rose to her feet and tuned to face Inuyasha. "Inuyasha can you take me home please so that I may get new clothing that is more suitable." She smirked at the hanyou.

Inuyasha had to fight to keep his own smirk at bay since he knew without a doubt that Kagome was up to something. Whatever it was it was going to piss off his ass hole of a brother and that sorry bastard of a neko. "Okay" He nodded as he walked towards her.

Kagome spun around to face the demon lord then cast a deadly glance at Kei. "I will be back by sunset with new clothes that you should find more suitable."

Sesshoumaru gave her a curt nod. "As you wish."

Kei narrowed his eyes upon her. "You are up to something." He threatened.

"Nope." Kagome shook her head haughtily. "I'm just doing as I have been told." She turned and walked over to Inuyasha. "Come on Inuyasha lets go."

"Sure thing." Inuyasha agreed and turned his back to her so she could climb on.

"Be back at sunset." Kagome grinned before Inuyasha leapt into the air.

Kei looked at Sesshoumaru and shook his head. "This isn't going to go well."

Sesshoumaru looked at his general. "She is unstable but she will obey me."

At that Kei snorted as he rose to his feet. "I'm sure she will." He drawled out sarcastically. "After all she's always obeyed everything you have ever said."

Sesshoumaru would have cringed at his words were it something he did. However the neko was right the girl never obeyed a word he said so why would he expect her to now. Well he was just glad that she wasn't his problem.


	3. Chapter 3

Just as the sun was touching the horizon a hanyou clad in red carrying a girl upon his back landed in the center of the camp.

Kagome jumped off Inuyasha's back and turned to face the inu and neko sitting beneath a tree staring at her.

"It's an improvement." Kei nodded as he eyed over the long dress she was wearing.

Inuyasha snorted as he moved to sit next to Sango and Miroku. "Man this is about to get ugly." He grunted to the two looking at him.

"Why what's going to happen?" Sango questioned without moving her eyes to her miko friend.

Inuyasha didn't respond just shook his head as he watched what was about to happen.

"Oh you like?" Kagome questioned sweetly as she did a turn for the two youkai in front of her.

"What is it." Sesshoumaru demanded suspiciously.

"It's called and overcoat." She nodded as she unbuttoned the top button.

Kei narrowed his copper eyes. "What's it over?" He growled.

"My clothes." She grinned as she unbuttoned another button. "You want to see?" She arched a brow at the neko.

Both youkai narrowed their eyes upon the girl as she continued to undo the buttons on her coat.

Once she had all buttons undone she held the coat closed as her expression became dark and deadly. Which was rather unnerving for the two youkai being she suddenly looked a lot like Naraku's little sister. "This is what I will be wearing from now on." She bit out as she ripped the coat from her body and threw it to the ground in a very angry fashion.

"Oh my!" Sango gasped in shock.

"I like it." Miroku grinned hugely.

Shippou blushed deeply as he hid behind the hoshi.

Inuyasha grunted and shook his head. He had seen what she was wearing before they left the house and knew without a doubt that no one was going to like it.

Sesshoumaru stared at the girl and for the first time in his life he was at a loss for words. Naked would have been easier to deal with than this. However where he had nothing to say Kei had plenty to say about her new clothing choice.

Kei jumped to his feet. "I forbid it!" He bellowed.

Kagome crossed her arms not phased in the least by his outburst. "Too bad." She nodded curtly. "Neither of you said that I had to have more decent clothing only that my previous clothes were indecent. As you have said I have acquired new clothing. No one made any mention of specifics." She glanced around the neko and stared at the demon lord. "Ain't that right judge Sesshoumaru?"

He would have killed her if he thought it would make this situation any better. "Hai" He growled not liking for a single second that she had put one over on him.

"It doesn't matter what he said!" Kei growled in her face. "Look at you your practically naked!"

"I am not naked." Kagome nodded determinedly as she looked up at him. "These are the same clothes I wear for gym class at school." She nodded.

Kei ripped his haori from his body and wrapped it around her. "You mean to tell me that you wear this all the time and in front of other people?" He shook his head. "No you will change right now!"

Kagome shook her head and pulled his haori from her shoulders. "Nope this is my new wardrobe whether you like it or not." She then arched a brow at him. "Then again I could always put my other clothes back on if you'd prefer?"

"Anything would be better than that!" He growled as he stared at her.

"Fine." Kagome nodded then turned and made her way to her bag and smirked at her friends. She plucked her bag up and disappeared into the woods to change laughing all the way.

xx

Kagome stared at the scowling yet pouting youkai across the clearing from her and smirked evilly at him when his copper eyes locked with hers. She nearly laughed outright when he curled his lip and bared his fangs at her.

Really she should make him feel better but the torn fabric of some of her most favorite clothes kept her right where she was. Granted it was pretty petty to stay so mad over her clothes being ripped to shreds but that wasn't the entire point. The point was instead of talking to her about it he just took it upon himself to rip her things apart. Then again she should have suspected as much especially after he first came to their little group.

Some four months ago…

Kagome jumped up from her position under the tree causing her book to fall recklessly to the ground when she heard a scream that sounded a lot like Inuyasha. "Inuyasha's in trouble!" She cried as she grabbed her bow and quiver of arrows to run and assist him at the same time the rest of her group sprung into action.

"Iie miko." Sesshoumaru growled low in his chest. "The hanyou is fine."

Kagome looked over at the demon staring intently into the shadows of the forest. "But he…" When the demon held up a hand she snapped her mouth shut. She had been around Sesshoumaru long enough to know that he was watching and listening to something and she was distracting him. Which when that happened it usually ended with her in his infamous choke hold and she certainly did not want a repeat performance.

She looked over at her friends not really sure what to do and they were just as clueless. Inuyasha was in trouble of that she was certain but Sesshoumaru didn't seem to think that it was serious enough he would need their assistance. She didn't know what to do so she began shifting nervously trying to make a decision about what she should do; obey Sesshoumaru or disobey and get punished for it.

"I…" She trailed off when Inuyasha suddenly came flying out of the forest, hit the dirt, skidded along filling his open mouth with everything in his path, and came to a sliding stop at her feet. "Inuyasha?" She questioned with wide fearful eyes as she kneeled down in front of him.

Inuyasha spit the dirt out of his mouth. "Fuckin bastard!" He growled. "One of these days I'm gonna kill that bastard." Then his eyes rolled into his head and he passed out cold.

Kagome looked up to Sesshoumaru for some answers only to see him leap into the trees then dive back down into the forest. "What the heck is going on?" She demanded in a huff.

Her companions all shook their heads as clueless at the moment as she was.

"It's another demon." Shippou nodded as he moved to stand next to a transformed Kiara.

Sango nodded her head. "He's right." She looked over at Miroku. "Can you feel it?"

Miroku nodded his head. "Hai and he's powerful nearly as powerful as Lord Sesshoumaru."

"Naraku." Kagome gasped.

"No" Miroku shook his head. "It's not Naraku of that I am sure." He looked over at the miko. "I'm not sure who it is but from what I can tell Sesshoumaru is just toying with it."

Kagome suddenly startled, dropped her bow and arrows, jumped to her feet, and stared at the forest when she heard another loud crash. "What is happ…" She again trailed off with a blur of black came flying right at her. In that moment everything seemed to move in a slow motion speed giving her a second to lock stares with widened copper colored eyes before strong arms wrapped around her, spun them both around, and crashed into the tree behind her.

It all happened so quick all she could get out was the tiniest of _'eeps'_ before she found herself sitting on the ground securely held within the arms of the being that crashed into her. As her brain slowly caught up to her she looked up, stared at the face looking down at her, and a passing thought of _'damn he's hot'_ flittered across her stricken mind.

Kei smirked down at the girl in his arms before he stood up, set her on her feet, and looked at the silver being exiting the forest. "You should be more careful you almost killed her."

Sesshoumaru snorted at the neko. "If she is too simple to move then it is not my concern."

Kei grunted then looked down at the girl. "Are you okay?"

Kagome slowly nodded her head. "Hai" She then quickly shook her head as her senses came back to her. "What the hell is going on here?" She demanded as she spun on the demon lord.

Sesshoumaru stared at the girl in that haughty manner that always seemed to drive her crazy and inwardly smirked when she made that indignant face which was the precursor to her annoying mouth. However he spoke up before she could run her tongue. "I have called my general here to assist us. It has come to my attention there is business that I must attend to and Kei will be filling in during my absence."

"General?" Miroku drew his brows. "I was unaware that Sesshoumaru-sama had an army."

"I was unaware that he was anything other than an nomad." Sango nodded at the hoshi. "Sure he has the title of Lord but I didn't think that that meant he was literally a Lord."

"I guess there's a lot we don't know about him." Miroku nodded back.

Sango nodded again in agreement as she stared at the male in question.

"Fuck." Inuyasha groaned as he slowly came back to consciousness.

Kagome was down at his side instantly. "Inuyasha are you okay?"

The hanyou slowly lifted to his knees then up to his feet with Kagome wrapped around him to help him up. "Let go of me!" He growled as he pushed the girl away not liking how weak it made him look in front of his bastard of a brother and that ass hole of a neko.

"Ah you survived I see." Kei smirked.

"Shut up!" Inuyasha growled with a pointed finger in Kei's direction. "You only got me because you snuck up on me. That's the only way you can win is by attacking someone when their back is turned."

Kei snorted. "It's not my fault you walked right past me. Maybe you should have your nose checked to make sure it's still working properly."

"My nose works just fine!" He growled as he got in his ready to attack stance.

"Enough." Sesshoumaru growled causing everyone to turn their attention his way. "I will leave at first sun tomorrow. I will inform Kei of our status so he will be able to stand in my place until my return." He gave a nod to his general.

Kei nodded back and made his way towards Sesshoumaru. However as he passed Inuyasha he flicked one of his puppy ears and smirked. "Maybe one of these days you'll get me."

"Fuck off!" Inuyasha growled as he covered his ears with his hands. "I hate that bastard." He growled.

Kagome looked from the two youkai to her hanyou friend. "Who is he?"

"A bastard that's who." The hanyou growled as plopped down onto the ground in the famous Inuyasha pout.

Kagome looked down at him and smiled with a shake of her head. Apparently this Kei wasn't that bad if Inuyasha was going to do nothing pout about it. "It's okay Inuyasha." She smiled as she kneeled down in front of him. "How about I make you some ramen? Will that make you feel better?"

Inuyasha grunted indignantly. "Bout time you did something worthwhile."

Kagome scrunched her nose in an angry fashion. "Sit!" She growled just above a whisper causing the hanyou to hit the dirt. "Just because you're mad doesn't mean you have to be a jerk to me about it!" She growled as she stormed to her backpack, yanked it open, grabbed a package of ramen, and flung it at the hanyou's head. "There make your own damn ramen!" She then grabbed her book from beneath the tree where it fell, plopped down, gave Inuyasha another sit because she hurt her bottom from sitting down so hard, then ripped her book open and stared angrily at the page. All the while muttering to herself about what Inuyasha could do with himself.

xx

Kei smirked over at the antics between the girl and the hanyou. "So what's the story here?"

Sesshoumaru cast a glance over towards the miko before he looked back at his general. "Infantile behavior."

"Apparently." Kei snorted as he locked stares with the demon lord. "However that girl is rather strange." He nodded. "Am I to take it she isn't from around here?"

"In a sense." He nodded curtly. "Her story is complicated and best told from her own mouth providing you can tolerate her incessant ramblings."

He never knew anyone could talk so much but that girl never shut up about anything and he determined that she talked merely for the sake of hearing her own voice. It was no wonder they were attacked so much. Even the simplest and deafest of humans could hear her coming from a thousand yards. On more than one occasion he seriously considered cutting her tongue from her mouth just to keep her quiet but decided against it as she would most likely moan a lot and annoy him further.

"If you wish you can speak with her on the issue. However she is the shikon miko and the key to Naraku's destruction so we must keep her alive and safe." He cast a quick glance over to his simpleton of a sibling who was sitting in front of the miko some feet away and casting pathetic glances in her direction. It was shameful to know they shared the same blood. "Inuyasha has been charged with protecting the girl yet his skills are lacking. Naraku has captured the girl twice while under his care leaving me with the responsibility of reclaiming her. It seems his mind is weak when faced with his previous love leaving the miko to easily get captured or injured by her enemies."

Kei tilted his head slightly. "Didn't that girl die some fifty or so years ago?"

"Hai and it is still unclear as to why she is alive. As much as the miko likes to talk she has never mentioned why or how the priestess was brought back. She has only said that she now lives and is a liability to Inuyasha."

"Interesting." Kei nodded.

Sesshoumaru dismissed the situation with his sibling and the two females with a small grunt and moved on to more important matters. "Currently the group is seeking the jewel shards to keep Naraku from completing it and becoming more powerful. You will assist them in their quest until my return and protect the girl from harm. Her skills as a warrior are lacking at best and is in need of constant supervision. She has a tendency to wander off without proper protection in order to bathe and on more than one occasion she has gotten herself into trouble."

"It sounds as if you are quite tired of her. So am I to take it that there is no business you need to attend to and this is just your way of escaping for a break?" He smirked knowingly at the inu.

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes slightly. "Iie; I wish to check on my ward and make sure Jaken has been watching her properly."

Kei snorted. "You know as well as I do that that human village is taking proper care of her for fear of bringing your wrath down upon their heads. If anything I'd have to say they are probably quite sick of Jaken and his constant threats. Maybe you should worry more about him than Rin. That girl is quite capable of taking care of herself." He then grinned darkly at his long time friend. "You know there is a rumor going about that Rin is quite the little seductress. She has more boys following her around than the moon has stars."

Sesshoumaru curled his lip at the neko. "Silence your tongue."

Kei shrugged. "I'm just saying what I heard. I mean she is nearly to the age of mating any year now and you are eventually going to be a grand daddy." He jumped back just in time to avoid being gutted by Sesshoumaru's poisonous fingers. "Lighten up." He laughed.

"For your insolence…" The inu growled darkly. "I am putting you in direct charge of the miko."

Kei looked over at said female who was casting deadly glares at the hanyou. "Eh she seems harmless." He shrugged.

Sesshoumaru snorted at that. He could only hope that the miko either purified the damn neko to the deepest level of hell or talked him to death. Either one would bring the tiniest of smiles to his lips. "If upon my return you still believe that then I shall kiss the ground the bitch walks upon."

"Now that's a bet I can't refuse." Kei smirked as he continued to stare the girl. "I believe inu you will be on your hands and knees following her wherever she may tread." He chuckled as he looked back at the youkai.

Sesshoumaru arched a brow at the neko. "And if you are wrong you will lick the dirt from my boots."

Kei stared at the demon and knew without a doubt that Sesshoumaru was setting him up. "Not on your life."

"Your yellow stripe grows wider across your back." Sesshoumaru taunted.

"Iie;" Kei gave a small shake of his head. "I have known you a many centuries and I know a Sesshoumaru set-up when I see one. There is something about the girl you aren't telling me." He arched a dark brow.

"Perhaps." Sesshoumaru smirked in kind. "She will bring you down." With that he turned and made for the shadows of the forest. "I will hunt and you will take up your position as baby-sitter." He smirked then vanished into the forest.


	4. Chapter 4

"Cocky bastard." Kei snorted before he turned and made his way over to the glowering girl but not before he gave Inuyasha something to really pout about.

"Fucker!" Inuyasha growled as he slapped his hands to his head and covered his ears. "How many times do I have to tell you to leave my ears alone?"

Kei shrugged. "I can't help it if you can't keep them still. If they weren't always twitching so much maybe they wouldn't beg me to flick them." He then kneeled down in front of Kagome. "And what are your thoughts on the issue?"

Kagome grunted. "I say they are for tweaking." She nodded.

"See there Inuyasha." Kei nodded at the hanyou. "They are definitely for more than sitting atop your head looking pretty." He smirked when Inuyasha bared his fangs at him and growled before he turned back to the girl. "Since we haven't been properly introduced and it doesn't look like the pup…"

"Don't call me that!" Inuyasha bellowed as he jumped to his feet. "I'll kick your ass if you say that again!"

Kei waved a hand over his shoulder dismissing the hanyou. "has learned any manners over the last few years I will take the honors myself. I'm Kei."

Kagome stared at the male before her and opened her mouth to respond only to be interrupted by Inuyasha.

"Kagome don't you dare talk to that bastard! I'm going to kill him and shove his ass down Sesshoumaru's throat."

"Ouswari!" Kagome hissed with a glare at the hanyou. "Shut-up Inuyasha. I'm sick of your foul mouth." She then looked back at the neko in front of her. "My name is Kagome if you and all of western Japan haven't heard by now no thanks to his loud mouth and that's Sango, Miroku, Shippou, and Kiara."

Kei looked over at her companions and gave a curt nod of greeting before he turned his attention to the miko. "So that is a rather interesting skill you have over the puppy." He smirked over at the grounded hanyou.

Kagome shrugged. "It keeps him quiet for about five minutes." She nodded with a glance at said hanyou.

"You do know there is another way to keep him quiet that only a few know about." He nodded at her. "And it lasts for hours."

Kagome stared at the neko expectantly. "Really? How?"

"Don't you dare say anything to her!" Inuyasha bellowed as he jumped up again from the most recent sitting Kagome had given him.

Kei looked over his shoulder at the hanyou and smirked evilly before he looked back at Kagome. "Scratch under…"

"No!" Inuyasha growled only to be ignored when Kei finished his sentence.

"his chin." He nodded.

Kagome stared at the neko skeptically. "Nuh-huh."

Kei shook a philosophical finger at her. "Remember he is a dog when it comes right down to it. If it works on your common everyday pet it is sure to work on even the most powerful of youkai." He winked at her.

Kagome didn't miss the insinuation causing her eyes to widen hugely. "No way!" She slowly shook her head.

"Definitely;" he nodded. "I have seen it with my own eyes. Their father used that technique to keep Sesshoumaru quiet when he was a child and Izayoi discovered the same for Inuyasha."

Kagome couldn't keep the giggle in at the image of Inu no Taishou scratching Sesshoumaru's chin. In her mind she could never picture Sesshoumaru as a child no matter how hard she tried so the image of a full grown Sesshoumaru being scratched under the chin by his daddy was just too funny.

He leaned in close to her and whispered in her ear. "Would you like a demonstration?"

Her eyes widened with curiosity as she stared over the neko's shoulder at her hanyou friend and slowly nodded her head.

Inuyasha started shaking his head as he began backing away from the duo. "No way!" He growled.

"As you wish." Kei smirked at her then rose to his feet and turned towards the hanyou.

"You just stay the fuck away from me!" Inuyasha growled as he withdrew Tensaiga and pointed it at the neko.

"Now we can do this the hard way or the easy way." Kei taunted as he stepped towards him.

Inuyasha shook his head in an angry fashion. "We're going to do this no way!" He bellowed.

"Come on Inuyasha let's show Kagome your softer side." Kei smirked as he drew closer to the hanyou.

"Get away from me!" Inuyasha growled deadly with a swing of his sword in Kei's direction as the cat drew closer.

Kei shook his head. "The hard way it is then. I'll give you a small head start if you like; two seconds?"

"Hell no!" The hanyou growled.

Kei completely ignored him. "One…" He took a larger step towards the hanyou.

Inuyasha jumped back away from the neko nearly crashing into a tree. "You just stay the fuck away from me!"

"Two…" Kei smirked then lunged at the hanyou just as Inuyasha disappeared into the forest.

Kagome looked over at her friends and cocked her head in question.

Miroku shrugged. "I say leave them be. It doesn't seem to be the first time this has happened between them."

Sango nodded in agreement. "Yea maybe Inuyasha will get what's coming to him for all the times he made us walk for hours on end without rest or food or anything else."

Kagome couldn't argue with that. "I agree." She nodded curtly as a phantom cramp shot up her leg causing her to rub her thigh. Everyone suddenly snapped their heads to the forest when they heard Inuyasha screaming like he had just been killed.

"YOU FUCKIN BASTARD! LET ME GO BEFORE I KILL YOU!"

"I guess he caught him." Miroku chuckled.

"I can't wait to see what happens next." Shippou nodded as he jumped up on Miroku's shoulder.

"Me either." Sango and Kagome said in unison as all eyes watched the forest intently waiting to see who would come out again and if Inuyasha would be asleep with his chin being scratched by the neko.

xx

"And that is how you put a dog down for a few hours." Kei smirked as he laid Inuyasha down in front of Kagome.

Kagome looked from the neko to the unconscious hanyou and back to the neko again. "I can't believe it." She shook her head.

"Yea." Sango agreed. "If we knew that trick we'd have saved ourselves a lot of arguments and leg cramps."

"Totally." Kagome nodded.

Kei smirked at the girl. "I believe our little hanyou friend will be taking a lot of forced naps in the future."

"Only when he makes us walk for miles and miles without a break." Kagome nodded curtly. "Otherwise _the word_ will do just fine. Now if only I could get one on Sesshoumaru; I'd be set." She added thoughtfully to herself.

Kei chuckled at that. "Ah well the ice prince isn't easy to put down but do not think it to be impossible."

"Bite your tongue neko."

"I'll get back to you on this issue later." He winked at her then stood up and turned to face said ice prince.

Sesshoumaru glared deadly at his soon to be dead friend. "One word and you will be walking the afterlife within the hour."

"As you wish." Kei bowed and smirked at him.

He didn't trust the cat beyond the length of his little finger; he really should have known better. However Kei was the next best thing to himself to guard the girl so he would just have to risk it. Though that didn't mean he couldn't lay down the law. "Here forth you will not speak of anything pertaining to this Sesshoumaru, our childhood, or any secrets shared. Is that understood."

"Perfectly." He again bowed.

_'Perfectly'_ his inu ass. He was no fool and he knew without a doubt Kei was going to do or say something to irritate him to no end. If not before he left then definitely by the time he returned.

xx

"And that's how I ended up here, shattering the jewel, and having to put it back together again." Kagome sighed like she was exhausted; which in a sense she was. It had been a long time since she shattered the jewel and it was feeling like it was going to an eternity before it was put back together again.

"Interesting." Kei nodded as he twisted the piece of grass between his fingers staring at it thoughtfully. "So I wonder based on your logic and your history with your friends would you give you most hated enemy a second chance? Providing you are able to see things from his point of view and why he chooses to be who and what he is and you understand those points."

Kagome nearly stumbled over her own feet at his question and was only steadied when he clasped her by the arm.

"Careful; don't want to skin up those bared knees of yours." He smiled charmingly at her.

She looked down at her bared legs and blushed. "No I don't." She smiled and caught back up to him so she was once again walking next to him. "Anyway;" she sighed and fidgeted with the hem of her shirt. "Naraku is uhh... well..." She didn't know how to answer that because really she never gave him much thought. Truly as far as she was concerned Naraku wasn't exactly a real being so he didn't deserve much thought.

"Ahh I see." He smirked over at her.

Kagome looked up at him and scowled not liking how that sounded at all. "What? What do you see?" She demanded.

He flicked the piece of grass from his fingers and smirked at her from the corner of his eye as he crossed his arms over his chest. "You aren't a pure and innocent as you think. Either that or you know you're not and you hide it from everyone else. Say one thing and do another I suppose."

"Hey!" She glared at him. "I'm not some evil monster that goes around killing and stuff just to gain power."

Kei looked at her with an arched brow. "Perhaps you're not but I do believe you keep company with those that do." He cut his eyes to the hanyou leading the group down the road.

"He does not!" She bit out indignantly.

"Oh?" He smirked. "Do you believe every demon he slays is deserving of the death he gives them?"

"No; he hasn't killed them all." She nodded curtly getting angrier with him by the second.

"Well then I guess your influence on him has changed him some then." He grinned evilly at the hanyou when Inuyasha looked at him from over his shoulder.

"Wait; what do you mean?" Kagome questioned completely confused by that.

"So he hasn't told you then." He looked over at her after baring a fang at the inu causing Inuyasha to quickly cut his head back around.

Kagome stopped walking, grabbed the neko by the arm, forcing him to face her, and glared up at him. "Told me what?" She bit out in a huff.

Kei clucked his tongue at her and tapped her on her nose with his finger. "A demon is a demon even if he is half of one. All demons have to prove themselves at some point in their lives or they end up at the bottom; usually dead." He grinned at her. "Your precious inu;" he jerked his head toward Inuyasha. "he doesn't only battle to protect you and his friends or even to just gain shards to that useless jewel."

"What?" She drew her brows not understanding what he was talking about. Everything he just said left her with a lot of questions and she was going to make him answer every single one of them. "Wait wait wait." She shook her head. "Are you saying Inuyasha killed for no reason just to prove himself?"

Kei gave her a slow deep nod with a smirk. "Like I said a demon no matter how much of a demon he is does what demons do." He turned and began walking back down the road forcing her to follow suit. "Inuyasha he has a lot to prove and has to prove it to someone with," he smirked over at her. "higher than normal standards."

"Sesshoumaru." She stared wide eyed up at him.

"Exactly." He nodded as he stared at the inu in question. "Many think Sesshoumaru wants his little brother dead but it's quite the opposite. The ice prince knows that Inuyasha is next in line for the domain their father worked so hard to build; should something happen to him of course."

"Of course." She snorted knowing full well that Sesshoumaru would never just step down from his position and hand it over to Inuyasha. The only way Inuyasha would become the new lord of the west is if Sesshoumaru died. She was sure that that was a one shot in a trillion chance. "So Inuyasha has battled demons for no reason other than to prove he is capable of killing them?"

"Hai." Kei nodded. "And I believe a lot of your battles currently are less about the jewel and more about proving his power and abilities."

"To Sesshoumaru." She finished for him. "Now that I think about it since Sesshoumaru joined us Inuyasha has fought a lot more demons than usual." She furrowed her brows deeply. "Though I only thought that was because they wanted to fight Sesshoumaru."

Kei shook his head and chuckled. "No miko. Inuyasha has a lot to prove to his elder brother. Also I'm fairly certain a lot of Inuyasha's battles were battles he sought out intentionally."

"Really?" She stared up at him wide eyed. "So was Sesshoumaru really with us to help defeat Naraku or was it because of Inuyasha?"

"A little of both." He shrugged. "Inuyasha is on the cusp of adulthood and he cannot make that transition until he proves his worth. Sesshoumaru is here to see if the boy will live up to the Inu no Taisho name and take his proper place as the son of the great dog General."

Kagome stared at Inuyasha's back mulling all this over trying to make sense of it all. "And if he doesn't?"

"He will dishonor himself, his name, and above all else Sesshoumaru." He turned to look at her. "Family honor is a very important thing in this time." He said in all seriousness. "Inuyasha knows this and has to prove to Sesshoumaru that he holds their family honor to the same standards as Sesshoumaru and their father. If he does not..." He trailed off and let his eyes finish the message for him.

"Are you saying that Sesshoumaru could kill him if he doesn't?" She questioned wide eyed up at him as she came to a sudden stop.

"He could." He stopped and nodded at her. "Now would he? I couldn't say though either way if Inuyasha fails to prove to Sesshoumaru that he holds his family honor to the highest standards..." He trailed off with a sad shake of his head. "Inuyasha will be disgraced as would Sesshoumaru leaving Sesshoumaru with only two options."

"Killing him and?" She questioned expectantly.

"Banishing him and stripping him of his name. He would be shamed and no longer under the protection of the western domain. Any would be allowed to kill him without the threat of Sesshoumaru's wrath."

She just stared at him wide eyed. "I had no idea Sesshoumaru cared anything about Inuyasha."

"He doesn't." He began walking again forcing her to follow. "Sesshoumaru cares very little about anyone but himself and those very close to him. However because Inuyasha is an Inu no Taisho it's his responsibility to make sure Inuyasha lives up to that name and the standards that come with it."

"So how close are you to Sesshoumaru then?"

He smirked at that. "Very." He nodded. "Sesshoumaru and I grew up together and I know everything there is to know about the ice prince."

"Oh?" She questioned bright eyed. "Like what?"

"If I tell you I'll have to kill you." He chuckled.

She pouted as she stared up at him. "Why not?"

"Because he'll kill me if he finds out."

"I won't tell." She drew an invisible X across her chest. "Cross my heart."

"Maybe when I know you better I'll let you in on some of our secrets." He gave a curt nod. "You're cute but not enough so that I'd risk my life for you."

Kagome suddenly stopped and scowled. Did he just call her ugly? She kind of felt insulted by that but on the other hand he did call her cute. "Hey!" She ran up to him. "Did you just call me ugly?" She demanded.

"No."

"No. What?" She questioned suspiciously. She could feel there was something else beyond that _'no'_ but she couldn't figure out what.

He looked over at her with an arched brow. "Are you looking for a compliment from me?"

"No; I just want to know if you called me ugly." She bit out.

"I said you were cute didn't I?"

"Yea but not cute enough to die for."

He didn't know how hard he should laugh at that. "Do you find me cute?"

"Yes." She answered without thinking.

"Well that's good." He smirked. "However do you find me cute enough to die for?"

She stared up at him taking in his features and once again found him to be very cute... No strike that he was hot model gorgeous right up there with Sesshoumaru. However, would she die for his hotness? "It depends." She nodded.

"On what?"

"How much of your hot body belongs to me." Her eyes suddenly went wide as she blushed a deep crimson. She couldn't believe she said that to his face.

"Oh so now I'm not just cute but hot?" He leered at her tomato red face. "Well we'll just have to see what we can do about you owning my hot body." He winked at her.

If possible she blushed an even deeper shade of red. "I... well... uh..." She fidgeted with the hem of her shirt trying to get her brain and mouth to work together. It seemed her brain like the idea of taking possession of the neko because all she could think about was what he would look like naked. Oh this was not good; not good at all.


	5. Chapter 5

Okay a couple things. One; I own Kei, I made him up, and you can't have him. Two; if you haven't seen it already Sugar0o drew a pic of Kei you can find it on her DeviantArt or on mine RonLyn or if you do a search for Keva's Char Kei; Sugar0o's DA comes up in the top three and it will take you right to it.

Lastly I intended to just make this fic a fun get together of Kag and Kei but I decided to go a little deeper into the relationship between Inu, Sess, and Kei. It was the relationship that helped define Kei and his position against Sess when I was creating him. So I hope you enjoy; much love for you all. Keva

xx

"So Kagome;" Sango grinned knowingly at her friend as she slipped into the hot spring.

Kagome followed the taijiya into the spring trying not to blush. She had an idea of what Sango wanted to talk about. Scratch that she knew exactly what Sango wanted to talk about.

"What's going on with you and Kei?" She continued to grin at her.

"Well..." she drew nervous little shapes in the water with her finger while making sure not to make eye contact with her friend.

Sango arched a brow. "Well? Spill it Kagome; I know you've been flirting with him."

She giggled and blushed an even deeper shade of red. "He's nice and funny and a lot more talkative then a certain stuck up dog we all know."

Sango chuckled at that. "True," she nodded. "Sesshoumaru doesn't like to talk."

"Or be talked to." Kagome huffed. "As far as I'm concerned Sesshoumaru is only good to look at and admire from afar. I mean did you hear him that day?" She stared wide eyed and annoyed at her friend. "Girl;" she dropped her voice several octaves mocking Sesshoumaru's deep baritone. "do not waste my time with your trivial mindless questions." She slapped the water in annoyance. "I mean jeez all I asked him was if Rin liked the village she was living in."

Sango started laughing. "Yep he definitely doesn't like to be talked to."

"Or touched, or looked at, or thought about." Kagome added on with a roll of her eyes. "Kei doesn't mind talking and telling about himself and things like that."

"How does he feel about being touched?" Sango questioned suggestively.

"I don't know; I haven't touched him." She answered with a furrow of her brows.

"Well," Sango dunked her head to get her hair wet then looked at her contemplating friend. "touch him and see what happens."

Kagome shot a shocked stare over at her friend. "What are you saying?" She questioned suspiciously.

Sango chuckled at that. "Exactly what you think I'm saying. You should walk right up to him and grab the first thing that catches you attention." She leered with a wink.

"SANGO!" Kagome gasped in shock.

The woman just shrugged her shoulder like it was nothing as she began to shampoo up her hair. "I'm just saying Kagome. Maybe it's was things like that that you didn't do to Inuyasha which caused you to lose him."

Kagome deflated from her shock instantly. "Yea maybe but Inuyasha is... well..."

"An idiot." Sango finished for her then rinsed her hair.

She couldn't help but nod in agreement. "Yea and add in Kikyo." She cringed at the thought of the woman.

"Kagome I watched you get hurt over and over again because of him and it's time for you to move on." She smirked at her. "And I say you should move on to that hot piece of man or should I say demon that recently joined our group."

Kagome stared at her friend. "You think so?"

"Yes." Sango nodded seriously. "Don't let another one slip out of your grasp. I love you like a sister Kagome and I just want you to find happiness." She sighed. "I know you haven't been happy for awhile and I know it's because you finally let him go."

"It's just hard." She sighed. "I loved him for so long."

Sango moved to stand in front of her friend and placed her hands on her shoulders. "Inuyasha is my friend and I care deeply for him but on the other hand he's a selfish jerk. You can do better and find someone that will see you for you not someone else." When Kagome stared at her she nodded. "So give it a try Kagome maybe Kei is just the man you need."

xx

Kagome sat on the boulder trying to keep her eyes on anything but Kei but it was a futile attempt. Ever since her talk with Sango in the hot spring just the day before she was all too aware of the neko.

Every little move, breath, blink everything he did she saw him do it. Not only that she was even more aware of every glance and smile he threw her way. Which was sending her thought process into overload with a bunch of unanswered questions.

Is he looking at me because he likes me?

Was that wink a wink of something suggestive?

Does he think of me the same way I think of him?

Would he let me bite him the same way I want him to bite me?

And on and on the questions would go with not one single answer forthcoming.

"Damn." She hissed to herself with a small pound of her fist against the boulder she was sitting on.

"Problem?"

She nearly fell off her perch at the sound of his deep voice in her ear. "Umm..." She realigned herself so she wouldn't fall off into an embarrassing heap at his feet. "no it's uh... nothing I just have a lot on my mind."

"Oh?" He arched a brow when he moved around to stand in front of her. "And what is on your mind; perhaps it something I can help you with."

_'Sure you can help me; could you get naked and let me have my way with you?'_ That's what she wanted to say and definitely wouldn't mind if that's what happened. However she settled for the easy answer that was a complete lie. "No."

"No?" He questioned back. "I believe you are lying and I didn't take you to be a liar." He crossed his arms over his chest acting a little indignant about it. "Then again maybe you aren't a pure and innocent as I thought you were." Hell he didn't think she was anyway.

"Hey!" She jumped off her seat and stood right in front of him, head craned back to lock stares with him, and finger jabbing sharply against his chest. "I'm not a liar!"

He snorted at her in a rather Sesshoumaru-esc snooty way and turned his head away haughtily. "Then you shouldn't lie. I don't like liars and would much prefer not to speak with them." With that he turned fully and began walking away.

Kagome watched him and narrowed her eyes deeply. "Save it neko I know a Sesshoumaru act when I see one and that was pathetic!" When he stopped and turned to face her she crossed her own arms over her chest. "If you're going to act like him do it right!"

"Oh?" He smirked at her. "And do tell how would Sesshoumaru act when dealing with a liar?"

"He points out the lie then tells what the truth really is and makes you feel stupid because you can't tell a lie properly."

Kei smirked at that. "I see so how many times have you tried to lie to him and how many times have you succeeded?"

She deflated instantly. "All the time and none. What about you?" She looked over at him. "You've known him for like ever; how many times have you lied and gotten away with it?"

"More times than I can count." He nodded smartly then changed the subject slightly. "I like him also know how to find the truth in lies."

She widened her eyes hugely at that causing him to give her a dark knowing look. "What?"

He moved to once again stand in front of her. "Tell me miko what's on your mind really?"

"Nothing?" She blushed as she stared up at him for she suddenly remembered what he looked like (in her own mind anyway) naked.

Kei scratched his chin in thoughtful contemplation as he eyed her critically. "You know I have never seen _nothing_ make someone blush so." He smirked at her. "Therefore I can only assume that whatever it is you're thinking isn't so innocent. PLUS since it's me you are talking to and you weren't blushing prior to our conversation I can only be lead to one conclusion."

"What?" She questioned in a shocked whisper wondering if he could read her mind.

He leaned down so they were nose to nose and eye to eye. "You were thinking about me in some rather impure ways." He smirked and arched a dark brow when her blush intensified ten fold. "I suspected as much." He grinned proudly as he rose back up to his full height.

"What?" She was beginning to think (somehow through her haze filled head) that that was the only word she could say.

This was perfect; he was going to have a lot of fun with this girl. "Alright miko." He smiled facetiously at her. "Since you desire me so if you can woo me I will give you everything that runs through that pretty little head of yours."

"What?" Damn curs-ed word! "I mean," she shook her head to try and clear it and failed miserably. "Woo you?" She managed to whisper through her shock.

"Woo me." He nodded curtly and turned his back to her. "I'll be over there leaning against that tree so whenever you're ready." He pointed as he looked over his shoulder at her and nodded again. "I'll be waiting." Then with a wink at her he walked away.

Kagome just stood there not really sure of what just happened or what she was supposed to do now. What did she know about wooing anyone; as per her hot love affair with Inuyasha which never happened.

"Lady Kagome." Miroku tapped her on the shoulder.

"What?" Oh she would slap herself if she thought it would do her any good. "I mean... what?" She looked over at the hoshi completely confused as she so rightly deserved to be.

Miroku patted her comfortingly on the shoulder and chuckled lightly. "Well I overheard your conversation and it seems that you are in need of some guidance."

"Guidance?" If she didn't get her head back under control she was going to turn herself over to Naraku and end it once and for all.

"To woo the neko." He nodded encouragingly at her with a glance over at said feline leaning against his chosen tree.

Kagome looked over at Kei and when he smirked knowingly at her she quickly looked away and blushed again. "I... I don't want to woo him." She whispered.

Miroku clicked his tongue at her and shook his head disappointedly. "You do not make a very good liar."

He was right and she knew it; she didn't lie well. Her face was like an open book which Sesshoumaru made sure to point out every time she opened her mouth to say something. She sighed deeply and looked up at their resident pervert. "Okay so maybe I do a little."

He smiled at her. "Good at least you admit it... a little." He threw his arm over her shoulders and began walking her towards the center of their camp. "First we need a plan and in order to have a plan we need to figure out what you know about him."

"A plan?" She wasn't liking how this was sounding at all and she was sure that once this was all over with she was going to be sorry.

xx

Kei watched the miko huddled close to the hoshi whispering about their plan. He could pick up a few words here and there especially when the girl would either dislike something the monk said or was extremely embarrassed by what he was saying. He couldn't wait to see what they were planning played out.

A tiny sound caused him to shot out an arm and catch the hanyou flying out of the bushes towards him by the throat. "Boy;" he smirked as he slowly looked over at the hanyou. "even the deafest of humans could hear you coming."

"Bullshit!" Inuyasha choked out as he squirmed to break free of the neko's hold on his neck.

Kei snorted as he dropped him to the ground. "Still as vulgar as ever I see." He resumed his position of arms crossed over his chest as he leaned his shoulder against the tree.

Inuyasha got to his feet as he rubbed his throat. "Keh what do you know about shit."

"I know you'll never grow up." He turned and leaned his back against the tree to face the hanyou full on. "Still the same as a first year pup. How do you ever expect to take on Sesshoumaru if you can't even sneak up on someone?" He arched a dark brow at him. "You are running out of time boy."

"I'll be ready and you know it!" Inuyasha growled and got into his fighting stance.

"Oh?" He uncrossed his arms and moved them to lock his hands behind his back though remained leaning back against the tree.. "Let's see if you're ready then. I'll give you five moves; if you can connect then I'll believe at the very least getting ready."

Inuyasha narrowed his ambers deeply eyeing the neko over looking for his opening. "Fuck that I only need one."

Kei chucked at that. "Then show me this one move though I highly doubt it will work. You still think brute strength is the answer to everything." He sighed deeply like he was dealing with a fit throwing child. "You lack the skill needed to take on someone like me let alone Sesshoumaru. I will guarantee you will fail when the time comes."

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes even further. "I'll show you who's going to fail!" He growled then made his attack.


	6. Chapter 6

Kei put his foot on Inuyasha's throat and shook his head in mock disappointment. "Pathetic." He sighed. "Just pathetic."

Inuyasha slapped the foot off his neck and jumped to his feet. "You fuckin cheated!" He bellowed.

A dark brow arched highly at the puppy's declaration. "There's no cheating in war and I barely even touched you." He sighed again. "You have less then a year and you are no closer now then you were two years ago."

Inuyasha stared at the neko then slumped against the tree across from him. "Face it I will never live up to that bastard's standards so why should I even fuckin bother?"

As much as he enjoyed watching the discontent between the siblings play out he did have to agree with Inuyasha. No matter what the hanyou did it would never be good enough for the ice prince. "Alright I will give you some advice this one time and this one time only." He narrowed his copper eyes deeply in a threatening manner. A manner Inuyasha was all too familiar with.

Inuyasha stared at the neko trying to hide his curiosity. He could see the threat in Kei's eyes and knew that what he was about to say was very important. So important in fact that he would get his hanyou ass kicked by the neko if Sesshoumaru ever found out Kei told him anything about his coming of age ceremony.

This was it Kei was going to advise him on how to prove himself to his asshole of a brother and he was going to listen and listen well. Especially since out of every living being in the world Kei knew his brother and knew what Sesshoumaru would expect of him. "What?"

Kei leaned back against his tree, crossed his arms over his chest, and stared at the hanyou pointedly. "Sesshoumaru takes honor very seriously as you so well know." He nodded when Inuyasha gave him a small nod in agreement. "Your transition into adulthood will be less about strength and power and more about proving you hold your name to the highest of standards. The Inu no Taishou name is regarded very highly and Sesshoumaru expects that you regard it just the same as he does."

Inuyasha stared at him processing this information. He was sure Sesshoumaru only wanted him to prove how much power he could attain. Granted he knew that Sesshoumaru held their father's name to the highest of standards but he didn't think he would have to do the same. Hell he never met the man so how would he know that his father and their name mattered at all.

"However that doesn't mean you don't have to prove your worth either." He smirked at him. "You will run the gauntlet and in order to reach the one at the top of the ladder you must first pass all others."

"You." Inuyasha narrowed his ambers deeply.

Kei gave a deep acknowledging nod. "Me."

"So all I have to do is kick your sorry ass and I'll have proved myself." He crossed his arms over his chest and grinned smugly at the cat. "No problem."

"Firstly you can't take me down even when I have my hands behind my back." He snorted. "Secondly if and that's a big if; but if you can get past me you still have to face Sesshoumaru." He stared at the hanyou seriously. "And mind you boy you'll be doing it in front of the entire Western domain."

Now he wasn't expecting that but it didn't matter anyway. "Keh I'll still kick both your asses and when I'm done you'll be the biggest laughing stock in all of Japan."

"Still the big dreamer." He chuckled. "By the way that reminds me do you still play with that purple dragon with;" he drew his brows as he scratched his chin in thought. "what was it red? No it was yellow poka-dots."

Golden eyes widened hugely. "That's a lie! I never had an imaginary friend!"

"Who said anything about imaginary." He mocked. "I wonder if your friends would like to hear about..." he trailed off and smirked darkly at him. "Princess was it?"

If possible his eyes widened even further. "You wouldn't dare! That's a lie! I'll kill you if you ever say a word! You promised you would never say anything about her!" He bellowed causing everyone in the camp to turn and look at him. "You keep your fuckin mouth shut or I'll kill you!" He screamed at the neko then took off into the forest.

Kei shook his head and laughed. "That never gets old."

"What was that about?"

He slowly turned his head and looked at the female standing next to him. "Just reminding the puppy of something he wishes he could forget." He turned fully to face her and smirked.

Kagome cocked her head to the side slightly and stared at him questioningly. "And what would that be?"

"Uh... Uh... Uh..." He shook his head at her as he crossed his arms over his chest. "My secrets aren't for sharing with just anyone."

"Just how many secrets do you have?" She stared at him suspiciously.

His smirk turned to a knowing grin. "Plenty."

"So you have secrets about Sesshoumaru AND Inuyasha?" Her eyes widened excitedly.

"Of course." He nodded at her.

"Ooh tell... PLEEEEASE!" She clasped her hands in front of her and stared at him hopefully.

"Again you aren't worth dying for;" he gave her a tap on her nose. "just yet anyway." With that he stepped past her and walked over to where Miroku was getting slapped for his wandering cursed hand.

Kagome watched him go and frowned deeply. "But I wanna know." She pouted.

xx

"Here."

Kei eyed the strange cup in the girl's hand then looked up at her standing in font of him. "What is it?"

"Ramen." She smiled at him. "It's Inuyasha's favorite."

He tentatively took the cup from her out stretched hand and stared at the contents inside. "Noodle soup?"

"Pretty much." She sat next to him on the fallen tree with her own cup in hand. "Inuyasha thinks it so great that he's passed up some of the best foods we've ever come across for it."

"Really?" He questioned as he continued to stare into the cup. Really it didn't look all that appetizing nor did he think it smelled all that great either. However he would try it and give it a chance.

"Really." She nodded at him as she watched him sniff at the cup before he took a sip out of it. "Well?"

He looked over at her and held the cup out. "The puppy can have it." He cringed. "I'd much prefer my food on the run and uncooked. The taste of the meat as the warmth of the body fades. The metallic yet salty taste of the blood coating my tongue." His eyes flashed excitedly as he smiled deviously at her.

This time Kagome cringed. "Ewww." She took his cup and set it by her feet. "You could have just said you'd prefer to hunt for your food. I didn't need the details." She looked at her own cup of noodles then with a disgusted shake of her head set it down next to his cup by her feet. "Well I wasn't all that hungry anyway." She sighed. "And here I thought with Sesshoumaru gone I'd finally be able to eat without being grossed out."

"Oh?" He arched a brow and looked at her.

She grunted disgustedly before she answered. "Sesshoumaru doesn't like to talk much as we all know. However;" she cringed again. "he's rather vocal when it comes to describing some of the foods I bring back from home to eat."

Kei chuckled at that. "Am I to take it his descriptions leave a lot left to be desired?"

"And then some." She sighed. "I used to think that a hamburger was just a hamburger."

"Hamburger?" He stared at her trying to sort out what his hamburger was.

"Oh it's just a piece of meat between two pieces of bread." She waved a dismissive hand through the air. "Nothing really great but;" she looked down at her feet and mentally mourned the loss of being able to eat one of her favorite foods. "I liked it once upon a time."

He couldn't help but chuckle at that. "And what is Sesshoumaru's opinion of this hamburger of yours?"

"Well according to him it looks like I sliced open the head of some poor creature and put its smashed down overcooked brains between slices of bread."

He furrowed his brows. "That doesn't sound so bad."

Kagome looked at him and snorted. "That was the clean version." She nodded. "I'm trying to forget what he said so I can one day be able to eat it again. My menu of foods it dwindling dramatically no thanks to him." She sighed deeply. "I'm beginning to think he's not going to be happy until I'm on nothing but a steady diet of rice."

"Oh I'm sure he'd let you have some meat of some kind if you ask real nice." He teased.

"Yea as long as it's raw and bloody." She shook her head and cringed. "Alright enough about that; lets talk about something else."

"Alright." He agreed. "What do you want to talk about?"

She turned to face him fully; locking stares with him. "You."

"Oh and what do you want to know about me?" He arched a brow at her.

"Well anything." She shrugged. "I mean I've told you all about me and everything so it's only fair you tell me all about you."

He ran his claws over his chin thoughtfully. "I suppose that's fair." He nodded and looked at her. "Where to begin?"

"At the very beginning." She nodded wide eyed completely focused; she was not going to miss a single word.

"The beginning was a long long time ago." He stood up and stretched then held his hand out to her. "Lets go sit somewhere more comfortable."

"Okay." She slipped her hand into his and let him pull her up to her feet.

Once she was up she truly expected him to release her hand but he held tight as he led her to a nearby tree. He then let go of her hand as he sat down and patted the spot next to him.

Kagome kneeled down but sat so she could see his face. She wanted to watch him talk and imagine what it would feel like to have those lips all over her own body. "So how long ago was a long long time ago?"

"Well" he scratched his chin thoughtfully. "as near as I can guess almost a thousand years give or take a couple hundred."

She still couldn't wrap her mind around how old youkai managed to live and their aging process; if what Sango said about them was true. Sango's guess was that Sesshoumaru though he looked like a mere nineteen year old boy was actually around the thousand year mark. Of course she tried to ask Sesshoumaru about his age and all that but true to form he told her to cease her mindless drabble. Sesshoumaru had to be the most conversationally constipated person she knew.

"So then you and Sesshoumaru are the same age." She nodded thoughtfully.

"Iie." He smirked at her. "I'm up on him by nearly a hundred years."

"Ooh bet he hates that."

He chuckled again. "You have no idea. He hates it so much that he constantly reminds me of his title and where I stand on the food chain of his life."

She stared at him suspiciously. "In his life but what about your own?"

"Clever girl." He smiled proudly at her and chuckled when she blushed a little. "I would hold the same title he does were my elders dead and gone."

"But they're not." She added on picking up his unfinished sentence.

"But they're not." He echoed. "For that matter in order for me to take the title of Lord not only would my father have to die but my grandfather and my older siblings as well. So it will be a long long time before I take up position of Lord of my family's lands if ever."

"Really?" Her eyes widened hugely. "So if you're a thousand years old how old is your father and your grandfather?"

He gave a small shake of his head. "Your guess is as good as mine. Youkai stop counting after so many years because it's just too many to count." He shrugged.

"So what about your mother? Is she still alive? Do you have any brothers and sisters or are you an only child?" She asked excitedly.

"Yes and yes." He nodded. "My mother is still very much alive and as mean as ever and I have..." he trailed off and furrowed his brows deeply. "well I can't really say maybe twenty maybe more siblings." When her eyes widened he nodded at her. "Remember our kind live for thousands of years leaving a lot of time for kids."

"Wait" she shook her head and drew her brows deeply. "I don't get it. How come Inuyasha's dad only had Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru if youkai live for so long?"

"Cats are different then dogs for one thing and for another Sesshoumaru's mother only had him before Toga banished her." He shrugged dismissively. "It was a long time before he met Izayoi," he nodded at her when she stared at him questioningly. "Inuyasha's mother."

"Oh; I never knew her name." She sighed. "Inuyasha doesn't like to talk about her much."

"Well I can't say he does." He nodded. "He didn't know her for long himself. Inuyasha had been on his own pretty much since he was the age of Shippou."

She gasped and stared wide eyed at him. "Really?"

"Really." He nodded. "The only people Inuyasha has known since his childhood are myself and Sesshoumaru. And as you have seen he doesn't much get along with his older brother or myself for that matter."

"But why?"

"Because Inuyasha has yet to prove himself worthy of carrying the Inu no Taishou name and he's a half-breed."

She stared at him eyes slightly narrowed. "And what about you? Why don't you guys get along?"

He suspected she wasn't going to like what he was about to say especially since she was more Inuyasha's friend then Sesshoumaru's. "It all boils down to friendship." When her eyes narrowed even further he knew he was right. "Alright look at it this way; who's side do you pick when Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha are fighting?"

"Well Inuyasha's of course." She answered in an annoyed huff like she couldn't believe anyone would side against Inuyasha; especially those who knew him.

"Because he's your friend; right?"

"Yea." She nodded.

"Well there you are then. I don't get along much with Inuyasha because I'm Sesshoumaru's friend not his."

She stared at him brows drawn deeply. "So if Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru get into a fight you're going to side with Sesshoumaru."

"Always." He nodded seriously. "Just the same with you and Inuyasha." He stared at her. "No matter how mad the puppy makes you you will always side with him because he's your friend. So why would it be any different with me and Sesshoumaru?"

"Well it wouldn't I guess." She nodded. "I mean it's hard to picture Sesshoumaru having friends let alone friends that are loyal to just him." She fidgeted nervously. "I mean Sesshoumaru just doesn't seem... well... normal."

Kei chuckled at that. "He isn't but that doesn't mean he's any less deserving of loyal friends than anyone else."

"I suppose." She agreed though she still couldn't see Sesshoumaru having anyone but Rin and Jaken caring anything about him. "Enough about that;" she decided to change the subject. "you said you have lots of brothers and sisters; so are you the oldest, youngest, middle, or are you somewhere else in between?"

He grinned proudly at her. "I'm the baby."

"Really?" She stared at him wide eyed.

"Really." He nodded. "And if my mother has it her way it will remain that way for the rest of her life."

"Well I guess after having twenty or more kids she's probably tired of it. So what about nieces and nephews?"

"More of those than I can count." He sighed deeply. "My family is quite large in comparison to most other youkai families. All neko tribes included."

Again she furrowed her brows in thought. "But why so big?"

"Well to ensure out bloodline for one." He smirked at her.

"And the other?"

He chuckled. "Well to expand our kind beyond just these lands. Most of my siblings left the continent long ago and settled in other places like China and beyond."

"Huh I didn't know youkai ever left Japan." She nodded. "I mean in my..."

"Hold that thought." He cut her off, got to his feet, and shot into the nearby bushes faster then she could blink.

Kagome startled when she heard a loud yelp. "What?" She stared wide eyed and somewhat fearfully at the shaking violently bushes some feet away from where she was sitting. Who or what was in the bushes and what was Kei doing to it?

Whatever it was she really hoped it didn't involve a lot of blood and guts as per Sesshoumaru's way of dealing with the animals of the forest. She didn't think she could take the sight of one more poor gutted animal's innards.


	7. Chapter 7

Yay another chapter! Hope you enjoy; much love for you all. Keva

xx

"Fucking bastard!"

Kagome eye's widened hugely at the sight of Inuyasha flying though the air and landing in a heap of red several feet away from her.

Kei stepped out of the bushes and dusted his hands together. "You almost had me there. However; warriors don't chuckle to themselves."

"I didn't fucking chuckle." Inuyasha growled as he got to his feet.

"Oh forgive me; snicker then." Kei rolled his eyes with a smirking glance over at Kagome.

"That's the same thing." She nodded.

"Either way." He waved a dismissive hand through the air and turned his stare to the hanyou. "Alright boy since you're so hot to fight me I say lets have some fun." He grinned darkly at the inu.

Inuyasha widened his golden eyes as he stared at the neko. "Hell no!" He took a step back.

"Kagome we're going to have to continue our conversation later." He gave a small nod without looking at her. "It seems the puppy wants to play and I can hardly deny him his request."

"No!" Inuyasha shook his head as he pointed a sharp finger at him.

"You have till three as per usual." Kei narrowed his coppers focusing dead to point on the hanyou. "One..."

Kagome looked between the two trying to sort out just what kind of relationship Kei shared with her best friend. It was nothing like the relationship between Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru or anything like Kei and Sesshoumaru's. Though she only saw Kei and Sesshoumaru together for a very short time. To her Kei was very intriguing and if her guess was right the neko was somewhere between Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru as far as personality went anyway.

"Two..."

She looked over at Inuyasha who was backing away while glaring at the neko. In all the years she had been traveling with the hanyou she never once saw him act like this with anyone; not even Sesshoumaru. Which made her wonder what was it exactly did Kei do to Inuyasha to make him fear the neko like he did. As far as she could tell Kei never really injured him like Sesshoumaru did so what was it? "Why is he so afraid of you?"

"I'm not afraid of that stupid bastard!" Inuyasha bellowed and glared at his miko friend.

Kei kept his focus on the hanyou as he answered. "Because unlike his brother I don't injure him; I embarrass him." He smirked darkly at Inuyasha. "Three."

"Stay the fuck away from me!" Inuyasha bellowed as he took off running into the nearby forest.

"Embarrass him?" She furrowed her brows as she stared in the direction they took off.

xx

"Here hoshi."

Miroku looked up at the neko then down into his lap when Kei dropped what he had in his hand. "What is it?" He questioned as he picked the item up.

Kei smirked down at him. "He's hiding nearby." He gave a jerk of his head towards the forest. "I thought about giving them to the miko or the taijiya but I believe he's been embarrassed enough for one day."

Miroku stared at the red hakama in his hands and widened his eyes. "Is he naked?"

"No." He crossed his arms over his chest and walked over to where Kagome was sitting staring at Inuyasha's pants wide eyed. "Only half naked."

"How?" Kagome questioned still staring at Inuyasha's hakama in Miroku's hands.

"You don't want to know." He grinned proudly and sat down. "Though I believe he'll be leaving me alone for a few days however." He sat down next to her and gave a nod to Miroku when he looked over at him.

"Um... you do know that Sango..." She trailed off when she was interrupted by said woman's voice.

"**INUYASHA YOU PERVERT! WHY ARE YOU NAKED?**"

"is hunting in the woods." Kagome finished her sentence as she watched the forest hoping beyond all hope she wouldn't see a half naked hanyou streaking out of the woods.

Kei laughed as he watched Miroku jump to his feet and take off running to save his inu friend. "Well he should have paid better attention to what was going on around him then."

"**I DON'T WANT TO SEE THAT! GAWD COVER YOURSELF UP!**"

Kei started laughing as he watched the woods and nudged Kagome.

"You know you just sent Miroku to his death; right?" She nodded though kept her eyes on the forest.

"**MIROKU I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN!**"

"He'll be fine." He smirked. "I've seen the kind of hits to the head he can take."

"Yea I guess." She nodded. "Though I'm beginning to think he actually likes getting hit."

"It's possible." He smirked and watched as Inuyasha who was trying to put his pants on and run at the same time tore through the camp. He was followed by Miroku and both were running as fast as their legs could carry them.

"**GET BACK HERE YOU TWO PERVERTS!**" Sango bellowed as she followed behind them with Shippou right on her heels laughing.

"Ewww..." Kagome cringed. "That was more of Inuyasha than I've ever wanted to see."

"Ah humility it can be a cruel cruel mistress." He laughed.

"And that is why Inuyasha is afraid of you." She looked over at him and nodded knowingly.

He gave her a small nod and smiled deviously at her.

"You're terrible." She grinned back.

"So I've been told." He winked and chuckled when she blushed lightly across her nose.

xx

Kei placed a clawed hand on Kagome's shoulder forcing her to stop as his copper eyes narrowed to deadly little slits. "Inuyasha stop." He growled just low enough for the hanyou to barely hear.

"Fuck that!" Inuyasha spun and glowered at the neko at the back of the group.

"Shut-up." He hissed as his hand slowly moved from Kagome's shoulder to the hilt of the sword on his hip.

"What is it?" Kagome questioned as she looked between the two.

"Naraku." Kei answered then vanished into the late afternoon shadows of the forest.

"Fucker!" Inuyasha growled to himself the followed after the neko.

"I don't sense him." Miroku drew his brows though prepared himself for battle just in case.

Sango gripped her Hiraikotsu tighter and looked over at Kagome who was staring blankly into the forest where Kei and Inuyasha disappeared. "Do you sense his jewel shards?"

Kagome slowly shook her head as she dropped her pack to the ground and readied her bow with an arrow notched. "No I don't sense anything; no power nothing."

"A barrier." Miroku nodded.

"I don't smell him either." Shippou added from Kirara's back.

Kagome startled suddenly and held her bow up at the sound of a large crash deep within the forest.

"There." Miroku nodded curtly straight in front of him. "I can sense him coming right for us."

"I feel it too." Sango lifted her Hiraikotsu up ready to send it flying.

"WIND SCAR!" Inuyasha's voice bellowed immediately after the crashing of the trees not too far from where they were.

"Should we go in and help?" Kagome questioned wide eyed as she tried to see what was going on.

"I don..." Miroku trailed off when a nearly debilitating blast of jaki flashed over them.

Kagome fell to her knees and groaned like a giant weight had settled on her shoulders. "What was that?"

"Kei." Shippou answered as he moved to stand next to her crouched form in an attempt to help her. "He released his true form."

Kagome opened her mouth to respond to that when an ear splitting roar was heard not but a few yards from in front of them. She was to her feet in an instant. "I have to see." Then before anyone could protest or say a word in response she was running heedlessly in to the forest straight for the battle.

xx

"You could have warned me before taking off like that." Inuyasha growled in a low whisper when he caught up to the neko who was standing just outside a small clearing.

"You should have sensed him without my help." Kei hissed back though never took his eyes off the clearing.

Inuyasha thought about saying something smart back but decided against it. He could feel the tension in the air and now wasn't the time for fighting with his own ally; even if he did hate the bastard. "He's mine." He bit out as he withdrew Tenseiga changing it from his dull useless rusty form to it's more powerful broadsword counterpart.

Kei snorted. "Boy will you ever grow up?" Before the hanyou could respond to that he shot off to the left circling around to the opposite of the small clearing trying to pinpoint Naraku's location.

xx

"I see you." Kei growled as he hunched down in ready to leap into the tree.

"Ah Kei what a pleasure." Naraku purred from his position on the tree branch high above the neko.

"No the pleasure is all mine." He retorted sarcastically as he leapt up with claws ready to strike the dark hanyou dead.

Naraku easily dodged the attack then had to quickly maneuver to avoid Inuyasha and his Tenseiga.

"Naraku you coward!" Inuyasha bellowed at the kumo.

Naraku chuckled and moved to another tree. "So Inuyasha where is your little miko companion? I believe she has something that belongs to me."

"You lay one hand on her and I'll cut your nuts off!" Inuyasha raised his sword over his head. "WIND SCAR!" He yelled and released the powerful attack upon the tree Naraku was perched in.

Kei sighed in annoyance at the hanyou. That was always Inuyasha's way; act first think later. How was he expecting to pass his coming of age test with that kind of thinking. With another deep sigh he released his jaki in a flash of blinding light causing the two combatants to pause and look in his direction.

Naraku quickly leapt to the left to avoid the swipe of the razor sharp claws coming at him. Once he landed he countered by shooting a tentacle at the giant cat catching it across the foreleg as he leapt out of the way.

Kei let off a loud roar of annoyance then swiped at the kumo a second time.

With Naraku distracted by Kei Inuyasha raised his sword to release his Wind Scar a second time but suddenly found himself eating dirt. "What the fuck!" He growled into his hanyou shaped hole.

"I saw that Inuyasha!" Kagome yelled as she ran up to him. "You would have killed Kei too!"

"Keh; no big loss." He grumbled and watched as Kei sliced his claws through Naraku's midsection.

Naraku placed his hand to his stomach and glared deadly at the neko. "You will pay for that!"

Kei curled his lip up into what looked like a smirk and lunged at the hanyou a second time.

"Perfect." Naraku purred then leapt out of the way of Kei's second attack heading straight for Kagome.

Kagome screamed as the dark hanyou shot towards her only to be intercepted by Inuyasha when he jumped up and lunged at the kumo.

Just as Inuyasha swung Tenseiga to cut the kumo down Naraku released a blast of miasma and vanished from sight.

Kagome fell to her knees coughing and choking as the poison entered her lungs.

"Kagome!" Sango yelled as she ran up to her friend with Miroku and Shippou right behind her. "Are you okay?" The slayer kneeled down next to her friend.

"Yea." Kagome coughed a little more and looked up to see Inuyasha storming around the now dead landscape cussing about Naraku getting away again. She then moved her eyes to Kei who was back in his human form holding his bleeding forearm. She quickly forgot her burning lungs and jumped to her feet and ran to him. "Are you okay?" She grabbed his injured arm and began examining it closely.

"I'm fine; nothing serious." He answered as he watched her worry over him.

"Nothing serious?" She looked up at him incredulously. "I can practically see the bone!"

"I've had worse." He shrugged. "By tomorrow it'll barely be a scratch."

"Quit worrying about him!" Inuyasha bellowed at his miko friend. "I would have killed that bastard if you hadn't of gotten in the way!"

Kagome turned and looked at the hanyou over her shoulder through narrowed eyes. "Inu Yasha. If I hadn't of stopped you you would have killed Kei in the process."

"The world would be better off." He huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. "Plus Naraku would be dead with him."

"Sit." She bit out with a grind of her teeth. "You're such a jerk Inuyasha!" She glared at him in his hole then turned back to the neko whose arm she was still holding gently.

"Well I guess we're done here." Miroku sighed and slowly reached for the perfectly shaped bottom of the slayer standing next to him.

"Almost." Sango bit out then laid a fist to the monk's head put him down next to their inu friend. "If I feel that cursed hand one more time today," she glowered down at him and set the tip of her Hiraikotsu against his stomach sharply. "we're going to see what a hentai hoshi is made of." With that she hoisted her boomerang back up and stormed off.

Kagome watched her two friend and sighed with a shake of her head. "Only Miroku could have perverted thoughts at the most stupidest of times."

"A sadist." Kei nodded and looked over at the hoshi who was still lying on the ground smiling stupidly up at the sky.

"An idiot." Kagome corrected with a sigh. "I think our travels are done for today. We'll make camp down the road a little, get you healed, and Inuyasha fed so full he won't have time to bitch about Naraku getting away... again."

"As you wish." Kei smiled down at her and followed when she gave a gentle pull to his injured arm.


	8. Chapter 8

Just a reminder in case anyone forgot; Kei is mine mine mine! So keep your grubby little mits off my kitty! Much love for you all. Keva

xx

Kagome gently wrapped Kei's arm in a bandage while ignoring the hanyou storming around the camp yelling about being fed. "You looked amazing in your true form." She smiled with a small blush.

"Oh?" He arched a dark brow as he watched her work on his arm.

"Yea. I mean your not a big as Sesshoumaru is in his true form but I guess that's because dogs are generally bigger than cats well in most cases anyway. I mean Sesshoumaru is massive like a mountain where you're sleek and slender more like art." Her blush intensified when she looked up to lock stares with him.

"Art huh." He smirked at her. "I'll have to remember that and rub a certain dog's nose in it."

Kagome cocked her head slightly. "Is Sesshoumaru as egotistical about his true form as he is about everything else?"

"You could say that." He grinned knowingly. "Sesshoumaru has the crazy notion that he is the greatest thing the Kami ever created."

"I guess that explains his haughty attitude about everything." She nodded.

"Well that's part of it." He cast a quick glance over at the hanyou glaring at the two of them and smirked causing the inu to start cursing all over again.

"What's the other part?" She questioned expectantly.

Kei looked back over at her. "His theory which he thinks is truth goes something like this. The Kami were completely awed and threatened by their ability to create something as powerful and dangerous and just downright wonderful as him. So they decided that they couldn't turn him loose on the Earth without balancing him out."

"Like a hanyou brother." Kagome nodded knowingly.

"Yes, and humans, and a wayward father, and a neko for a best friend." He snorted. "According to him everything placed on the lands was placed just to annoy him thoroughly. Since the Kami couldn't allow their perfect creation to live a happy peaceful blood filled life. Plus the great one's that created him are scared that one day he will return to them and destroy them in order to take their place. So they had to put things on the land to distract him from becoming all powerful." Oh he was going to pay for this story but it was going to be well worth it.

Kagome stared wide eyed at him. "You know that explains a lot about Sesshoumaru."

He couldn't wait until Sesshoumaru's return and for the mutt to find out what this little miko now thought of him. True Sesshoumaru was probably going to try and kill him but it wouldn't be the first time and it sure as hell wouldn't be the last.

"That's only a very small part of Sesshoumaru's issues." He smirked at her.

"Really?"

"Really." He nodded. "However I've already divulged too much and I can already feel the pains I'm sure to suffer from speaking about it."

"I won't tell; I swear." She nodded her head vigorously and stared wide eyed at him.

"We'll see." He stared at her with a barely noticeable raise of his brows. "However I suggest you deal with the puppy before he begins to tear up the camp." He nodded again towards the hanyou in question who was still fuming and stomping around the camp grumbling under his breath.

Kagome sighed deeply and gave a small nod. "Alright let me get him fed and full so he'll shut up and we can all have a peaceful evening."

xx

Sesshoumaru looked down at the girl standing in front of him trying with all her might to keep her excitement under tight control. "Rin."

As soon as her name left his lips she could no longer remain where she stood. "Sesshoumaru-sama!" She squealed and threw her arms around his waist.

Sesshoumaru sighed deeply seemingly in annoyance but deep down he was pleased as he always was with her complete devotion to him. "You have been well?"

Rin stepped back from him and beamed hugely. "Hai. I've learned lots, and have lots of new friends, and the boys ask me to marry them everyday, and Jaken-sama chases them off threatening to hit them on the head with his staff and..."

"I see." He cut her off so she could take a breath before she passed out.

"But Sesshoumaru-sama why are you here? Did you finish your mission? Where's Kagome-chan? I'd like to see her and that fox boy Shippou."

"No Rin I have not. I have come to make sure Jaken is taking proper care of you." He cut his hard amber over to the little kappa groveling some feet away.

"Oh Jaken-sama is taking real good of Rin." She nodded up at him.

"Good." He looked back at the girl. "Then he will remain here monitoring you to make sure no harm comes your way." He gave a small death glare at Jaken causing the toad to grovel all the more loudly. "You take issue with this." He nearly growled when he looked back at the girl and noticed her frowning deeply.

Rin jerked like she had been shoved out of a stupor. "Iie Sesshoumaru-sama!" Her eyes widened hugely as she stared up at him.

"What is it Rin." He demanded thinking that she nor the toad were completely honest with him about her stay here.

"Well Rin was hoping you were coming back so we could leave here like you promised." She nodded. "Ojiki said that you were coming to get us," she waved a hand from herself to Jaken sitting on his knees listening intently to the two of them. "after he found you."

Sesshoumaru suddenly felt a cold chill shoot up his spine at the mention of that damnable neko. He could nearly hear the cat sitting around telling stories about their childhood and that annoying miko taking it all in like a dry cloth to water. He was going to kill him!

"Kei was incorrect. You will remain here until I say otherwise." He enforced his words with a hard stare in Jaken's direction.

"Yes Sesshoumaru-sama." Rin bowed her head trying to reel in her disappointment knowing how much Sesshoumaru hated to see her act like that.

Sesshoumaru nearly VERY nearly sighed in annoyance but he managed to suppress it. "I will bring the miko and the fox to the village upon my return so you can visit."

Rin's eyes widened hugely and brightened as she stared up at him. "Oh Sesshoumaru-sama!" She threw her arms around his waist. "Thank you! Thank you!"

"Hn." He responded in a manner which would have sounded very much like a grumble had anyone ever heard him grumble before.

xx

"You have to focus." Kei ordered from his position on his knees if front of the little fox demon. "Think of your fox magic not as a power but as a an extension of yourself."

"You mean like my arm?" Shippou questioned as he stared at the neko.

"Well more like your fingers or your hair." He nodded curtly. "Or even your tail; yes your tail. You move it without conscious effort therefore if you look at your powers in much the same way you'll be able to utilize them better."

"My tail?" Shippou drew his brows and stared at the appendage in question.

"Your tail does more for you than just wag about." Kei nodded. "It gives you balance and you move it to counter balance yourself when you need it. Yet when you do move it you do so without thinking about it; correct?"

"I guess I do." Shippou nodded thoughtfully.

"Now if you think of your powers in much the same way you'll be able to expand upon what you already know. You might even possibly discover things about your powers you never even knew you could do."

Shippou perked up excitedly at that. "Really?"

"Hai." He nodded at him. "All youkai have great powers and all youkai start off with only the basic ability to control their powers. In order to fully awaken what you have laying dormant inside you must train and push yourself beyond what you think you are capable of doing." When the fox tilted his head to the side with his little brows drawn deeply he smiled. "How about we test the theory."

"Okay." Shippou nodded.

"Alright we'll start with your fox fire."

"Alright." Shippou held his hand out and produced a small flame.

"Now we're going to combine your fire with your ability to transform." He nodded curtly when Shippou's eyes widened hugely. "First focus on the fire in the palm of your hand and imagine it shaping into another form."

Shippou did as he was told and focused on the little blue flame with such determination his brows furrowed deeply.

"Don't force it." Kei ordered. "Remember think of it as a part of you much in the same way you move your tail or your fingers."

Shippou sighed and nodded. "Okay." He tried to relax by closing his eyes and imagining what form he wanted his fire to take. He was going to do this so he could be powerful like Inuyasha or Kei or even Sesshoumaru. That way when they would go into battle he would be able to do more than hide behind Kiara.

Kei arched a dark brow highly at the little blue flame as it flickered and began to morph into a human-esc form which looked suspiciously a lot like Sesshoumaru. It was rather advanced for a first try and he was impressed with the little fox's determination to succeed at this. However the shape didn't last long before it collapsed down onto itself and instead formed into a perfect sphere.

"Look." He ordered the little fox demon.

Shippou slowly opened his eyes and could do nothing but stare in wonder at the ball of fire floating just above his palm. "I did it!" He exclaimed to the neko which caused him to lose focus which in turned caused the fire ball to fizzle out. "Darn!" He huffed.

"It's okay." Kei smiled proudly at him. "You just have to keep practicing and before you know it you'll be making all kinds of shapes out of your fire."

"Keh." Inuyasha snorted. "The runt will never be able to do more than singe people."

Kei looked over at the hanyou with a dark brow arched highly. "You know I remember a certain puppy that once could barely put a mark on a tree with his blades of blood attack or even scratch me with his little claws."

"That was different!" He growled with a pointed finger at the cat.

"Oh?" Kei countered. "And do tell how was that so different?"

"I... well..." He narrowed his gold eyes deeply. "It doesn't matter!"

"Huh." Kei looked over at Shippou who was watching the two of them. "It's logic like that that will cause a certain hanyou we both know to fail in his coming of age ceremony."

"What happens if he fails?" Shippou questioned wide eyed.

Kei smirked at him and looked over at Inuyasha then turned back to Shippou. "He knows what will happen and then maybe he'll come looking for your and your powers to protect him."

"I would never!" Inuyasha bellowed. "I don't need a stinkin little runt like him to help me take care of myself. I will pass then I'll kick your sorry ass!" With that he took off to go train just so he could do that.

"He's going to fail; isn't he." Shippou said as he stared in the direction Inuyasha disappeared.

"I really hope not." Kei sighed as he stared at the spot the hanyou last occupied.

"Maybe you could help him train." Shippou looked up at the neko hopefully.

"I do." He winked at the little fox. "As a matter of fact I think now would be as good a time as any to help him train." He smirked knowingly at him. "Would you like to join me?"

"Really?" Little emerald eyes widened hugely in excitement.

He stood up and turned his back to him. "Really. You'll have to ride on my back and hold on tight."

"Okay." Shippou hopped up onto Kei's back and gripped his shoulders tightly.

"Ready?" He looked over his shoulder at the little kit.

"Ready." Shippou nodded curtly and before he could finish the nod they were gone.


	9. Chapter 9

The disclaimer still stands; Inu and gang may not be mine but Kei is and don't you forget it! Much love for you all. Keva

xx

"Alright," Kagome nodded as she kneeled down in front of Kei.

He arched a dark brow at her. "What?"

"I want to know what this coming of age thingy with Inuyasha really is about." She demanded.

"He just has to prove himself as an Inu no Taishou." He shrugged dismissively.

She narrowed her eyes deeply. "If it was just that he wouldn't have to worry about being killed and all that."

"Smart girl." He grinned at her. "Though he won't necessarily be killed if he doesn't pass." He shrugged. "It just means he'll no longer have the protection that comes with the name Taishou. If it wasn't for that name and the sibling that comes with it he would have been dead long ago."

Kagome shook her head. "Why would it matter? He's never invoked the use of the Taishou name anyway."

"He doesn't have to declare it verbally." He looked over at the hanyou in question. "Many know of the great dog general The Inu no Taishou and the story of his death."

"So." She shrugged. "What does that have to do with anything or even Inuyasha's coming of age."

"Everything." He glared at the hanyou when they locked stares then smirked when the inu looked away. "You see Kagome," he looked over at her. "Inuyasha's father was very powerful and much like Sesshoumaru kept the lands safe for those who lived here. Any who threatened or now threaten what falls under the control of the Taishou name has to face the consequences of," he shrugged. "Sesshoumaru."

Kagome huffed. "But what does that have to do with Inuyasha?"

He snorted. "Well as powerful as Sesshoumaru is he can't do it all by himself." He chuckled when she looked at him skeptically. "Well maybe he could but it would be much easier to control his lands with another Inu no Taishou; especially since Sesshoumaru expanded them so much after his father's death."

"So what you're saying is that Inuyasha will be given the name Taishou if he passes his coming of age ceremony?"

"That and the power, respect, and honor that comes with carrying that name."

She furrowed her brows deeply. "Wait?" She stared at him completely confused. "Inuyasha doesn't have a last name? He's just Inuyasha?"

He nodded curtly. "Yes; currently the puppy holds no name of his own or title or even power in the sense of standing throughout youkai society. The only thing he CAN claim is that he was born carrying the blood of an Inu no Taishou and nothing else."

"So in order to gain his title he has to fight a lot and beat everyone he faces; you and Sesshoumaru included?" She stared at him worriedly.

"I don't blame you for worrying about the puppy." He smirked at her. "It's highly doubtful he'll make it to myself or even beat me to take on Sesshoumaru." He smiled reassuringly at her. "However winning isn't the point. It's more about showing that he can think first not act."

Kagome's eyes widened hugely as she stared at him.

"And therein lies the problem." He snorted and shook his head. "He's hot headed and acts with his feet." He sighed deeply. "Yet that is only half the problem."

"What's the other half?" She questioned with a worried glance over at Inuyasha.

Kei smirked. "He has to bow down before Sesshoumaru and pledge his loyalty to him."

"NO WAY!" She stared wide eyed at him. "He would never!"

He opened his mouth to respond to that but closed it when she cut him off.

"Does he know he has to do that?" She whispered as she leaned in towards him.

"He does." He nodded. "However he's deluded himself into thinking that he won't have to once he runs the gauntlet. He's sure that it's all about strength and if he proves his power he won't have to."

"And Sesshoumaru's is a traditionalist so he'll have to do it if he manages to quit thinking with his feet."

"Exactly." He nodded.

"We have to do something to help him."

He grunted. "You nor I can do anything to fix his hot head. The best I can do is train him the rest is up to him."

She put her fist to her chin in thought. "Maybe Miroku can work with him or something."

"Perhaps but the question is would he take the monk's advice?"

Kagome slumped like a ten ton weight suddenly settled on her shoulders. "Probably not." She sighed deeply. "He's just so stubborn!" She bit out with a glare over a Inuyasha.

"WHAT?" Inuyasha glared at the two of them.

Kei narrowed his eyes upon the puppy threateningly. "You want to play?"

"Fuck you!" He pointed a sharp finger at him. "I'll kick your sorry ass!"

"Shut-up Inuyasha!" Kagome glared at him. "I am soo sick of your foul mouth. AND if I hear one more dirty word out of you you're going to find out the other side of the world looks like!" She threatened.

Inuyasha picked up the threat loud and clear. "Keh!" He huffed and jumped into a tree to pout.

"I'll talk to Miroku and Sango and see if we can do something to help him." She looked at the neko. "Maybe you could too?"

"Sorry; can't do that." He nodded curtly at her. "My loyalties lie with Sesshoumaru not Inuyasha the best I can do for him is train his strength."

"That's not fair." She huffed.

"It is." He snorted. "Actually," he ran his claws over his chin. "I'm helping out of my own kindness." He locked stares with her. "I don't have to help him at all and I'm sure Sesshoumaru would prefer it that way."

She still couldn't believe that Kei was so loyal to Sesshoumaru. Her mind just couldn't wrap around the fact that someone would side with the great youkai over her best friend. "I just don't get it." She scowled. "Why Sesshoumaru? Inuyasha is so much better."

He couldn't help but laugh at that. "Girl everyone is entitled to a friend no matter what anyone else thinks of them." He stared pointedly at her. "You know I could ask you the same thing. Why are you so loyal to the hanyou? Why not Sesshoumaru since he is so much more powerful and I'm sure a much better protector to you than the puppy."

Well she really couldn't argue with the protector side of things. Since Sesshoumaru joined them in their travels her injuries and kidnappings had dwindled down to nearly none. Well no kidnappings anyway and her injuries were mostly of her own making of her own stupidity. However where Sesshoumaru was a better protector his personality left a lot to be desired. Never once did Sesshoumaru ever make her laugh, or feel better when she was feeling down, or make her so mad she could actually kill. Actually that last one he was good at doing. More times than she could count she had seriously thought about purifying the demon lord until he was nothing but dust.

"Sesshoumaru is sooooo stuck up and he never talks and he so rude and he doesn't have a personality as far as I can tell. He doesn't laugh or joke or comfort anyone or anything." She shook her head. "I mean he's a dog and Inuyasha is so much more dog like than Sesshoumaru ever could be."

"Exactly." He nodded causing her to stare confusedly at him.

"What? What do you mean _'exactly'_?"

He smirked at her. "Granted dogs are loyal, fun, comforting and so forth they're not very intelligent."

"Are you calling Inuyasha stupid?" She questioned with a death glare at the neko.

"Well I certainly didn't call him smart now did I?" He antagonized knowing full well he was crawling under skin. It was rather cute how she tried to come across as threatening by glaring deadly at him. "Alright put it this way," he arched a brow at her. "if he's so smart then we wouldn't have to worry about him passing his coming of age ceremony; now would we."

"I guess not." She nodded and scrunched her nose.

"Your precious hanyou isn't as dumb as an ordinary dog but not much smarter either."

"You need to get away from Sesshoumaru for awhile." She huffed. "That comforting insult didn't help at all."

"Now why would I do that?" He questioned with brows drawn. "I find Sesshoumaru's company to be quite pleasant." He said in all seriousness.

"When has Sesshoumaru ever been pleasant?" She shook her head. "I'm not sure he even knows that the meaning of the word pleasant."

"Oh?" He arched a brow at her. "I believe I can produce a little girl that will dispute that and defend her precious Sesshoumaru-sama until the day she dies."

"Rin." Her eyes widened.

"Rin." He nodded.

"Now that's a relationship that doesn't make sense if I ever saw one." She nodded.

He chuckled at that. "True but it just goes to prove that somewhere deep inside that iceberg of an ice prince there is a soft side." He smirked at her. "So you see Sesshoumaru isn't all threats, death glares, and poison claws."

"I guess." She sighed in defeat like she just lost some great battle.

"Now tell me this girl." He stared pointedly at her. "Why are you trying to turn me against Sesshoumaru?"

"I'm not." She defended. "I just don't see how you can be so close to him. I mean what I know…"

"Exactly." He cut her off. "What you know is very little compared to myself who knows quite a lot."

"So tell me."

"Oh no I've already told you enough."

"Nuh huh you said you'd tell me when you knew me better." She nodded curtly.

He ran his claws over his chin thoughtfully. "And do I?" He looked over at her. "Here-so-far the most I know about you is where you come from and the fact that you think Inuyasha is the greatest thing ever created. AND," he narrowed his eyes upon her. "you aren't the innocent little thing you want everyone to think you are."

"I do not and am so!"

"Don't you and aren't you?" He arched a dark brow at her. "This is the third time you've tried to convince me that I'd be better off taking the puppy's side over Sesshoumaru's. Those are not the actions of an innocent little girl more like the actions of a devil woman."

"Is not!" She scowled deadly at him. "It's only the second and I'm not a devil woman!"

"Ah so you admit you're trying to turn me into a traitor." He smirked. "And just so you know only little vixens try to use their wily charms to turn friends against friends."

Kagome scowled deadly at him and shot to her feet. "I hate you soooo much!" She huffed, turned, and stormed off.

"Oh and you're doing a terrible job of wooing me." He said to her retreating form then laughed when she went stiff in the spine as she continued to walk away from him. "Innocent little girl my ass." He shook his head.

Who ever thought she was some innocent little thing that could be trusted was completely out of their mind. That was a witch woman if he ever saw one.

xx

Kei suddenly shot from his spot under the tree when three green whips came at him from the darkened forest.

"You will die." Sesshoumaru growled and shot for the neko.

Kei chuckled, jumped to the top of a tree avoiding the poison claws coming for him. "I see someone's imagination has run away from him again." He taunted. "I thought you had that fixed."

"Silence neko." He growled deadly and jumped up at him. "You have run your mouth one too many times."

Kei again dodged the attack and stared at the demon lord. "Oh and what have I said?"

"It matters not." He countered. "I know you can't keep your tongue behind your teeth."

"To this day I still find it absolutely astounding this insecurity of yours." He snorted. "So much for your iron clad control."

Sesshoumaru let his eyes bleed red as he stared at his long time friend. "Today you die."

"Oh you mean the same way I was supposed to die a few weeks ago, a month ago, two months…" He trailed off when Sesshoumaru shot towards him with poison claws glowing and instead of running he countered the attack.

"I hope he kills him." Kagome huffed and crossed her arms over her chest indignantly.

"I agree." Inuyasha growled, withdrew his sword, and jumped into the fight. He'd kill two bastards with one swing of his sword and finally be done with the both of them.

"Kagome I couldn't help but overhear your conversation." Sango pointed out. "And he's right you are doing a terrible job of…"she trailed off and drew her brows deeply. "What did you call it? Fitting?"

"Flirting." She sighed and sat down on the fallen tree and completely ignoring the battle raging on somewhere in the forest.

"Flirting." Sango nodded and sat down next to her. "How about instead of trying to get him to tell you all about Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha you have him tell you about himself."

"I agree." Miroku nodded. "You were off to a good start; so what happened?"

Kagome sighed deeply and looked up at her hoshi friend. "It's this coming of age thing with Inuyasha. Something about it just doesn't sit right with me." She nodded at him. "And I want to know what it's all about."

"Have you tried asking Inuyasha?" Shippou questioned from Miroku's shoulder.

"He won't say anything to me." Kagome huffed.

Sango snorted at that. "Probably because there wasn't something in it for him."

Kagome's eyes lightened up. "I know how to get him to tell me what he knows about it." She nodded. "Ramen and two weeks without a single mention of going home."

"I bet that would work." Sango agreed.

"Definitely." Miroku nodded.

Shippou stared wide eyed at his miko friend. "Try it."

"I will." She nodded at the three of them. "As soon as they get done with their pissing contest or whatever it they're doing out there." She pointed in the direction of the loud crashing of falling trees.

"This one may take awhile." Miroku pointed out. "It seems that Sesshoumaru-sama has a lot of issues to work out with Kei and throw Inuyasha in the mix and…"

"We're staying here for awhile." Sango cut him off.

"Guess we better get comfortable then." Kagome nodded. "Maybe I could get some homework done while we wait."

"Yes we should rest while we can." Miroku agreed then turned to go and find a comfortable spot to meditate or more specifically to watch his female companions and their nicely shaped bottoms.


End file.
